Bolognese ragu recipe in a pressure cooker

Bolognese ragu recipe in a pressure cooker

Nys Aqyla    9/17/2022   

A rich, flavorful ragù with incredible slow cooker flavor in about half the time 

In this recipe

• Build a taste base
• How to make pasta sauce the right way

why does it work?

• Powdered gelatin adds body to sauces.
• The pressure cooker tenderizes meat and adds flavor in less than half the time it takes to make a traditional barbecue or bolognese pie.
  

There's something in the air, and I don't know what it is. In fact, I know exactly what it is. These are the tiny seeds of beef and pork. These are aromatic compounds that jump out of the pot into the atmosphere and hover around my house. It's terpenes and esters from boiled red wine, sulfides from onions and garlic, and falcarindiols from carrots heading for my nose. That's the smell of bolognese stew in my kitchen, and each year it marks the beginning of winter for me. A winter filled with greasy sauces with velvety textures coats my pasta and warms my soul.

I didn't really follow what caused me to pull out the oven and start mincing the meat year after year - it could be the changing weather, the lack of summer fresh produce or maybe the display of decorations. Christmas. will increase right after Halloween, but ragù bolognese is the only thing I will make year after year, like clockwork. Luckily, I love the tool.

My original recipe is based on a version I learned from Barbara Lynch when I was a chef at 9th Park in Boston. It's complex, with four different types of meat (lamb, pork, veal and chicken liver), sautéed with onions, carrots, celery, garlic and sage, then simmered with broth, wine, and sage. Red wine, milk and some tomatoes for a few hours, and finally finished with heavy cream, parmesan and herbs. Over the years, my formula has evolved as I play with it. My version of the book uses pancetta to further enhance glutamic and inosinic acids, providing a bit of depth of flavor. On the other hand, this low-temperature oven version amplifies the Maillard reaction and creates a salty and golden flavor. During my epic pressure cooker testing, I decided to see if I could adapt the recipe to work in a pressure cooker, in the hopes of reducing cooking time while building flavor in the process. .

It took a bit of tinkering, but in the end it worked extremely well, creating Ragù Bolognese with an amazing slow-cooking flavor, in just about half the time compared to my other recipes. I.

Build a taste base

The first steps of this method are very similar to the pinnacle generation of my a la bolognese regimen. I started by making small pancetta pieces. In my all-oven version, I'm careful not to brown the pancetta any longer, as this helps maintain the velvety texture - the sauce takes on a golden flavor when baked in the oven. In this version, the sauce won't be covered in dry heat, so I wanted to get the golden flavor early by letting the pancetta cook the dinner until it was crispy enough. The resulting softening of the pressure cooker will reduce any unwanted texture it creates. Then I loaded up my herbs: onion, carrot, celery, garlic, sage, and chopped parsley. (I'll also add some chopped parsley and basil at the end for extra flavor.) I cook these for dinner until tender in the pancetta fat before adding the chopped liver chook.

I'm often asked if chook haters really need it, usually by liver haters. I'm no longer a liver fanatic myself, but I love what it does to the dish, which includes the minerality and definitely enhances the nuttyness of the red meat. Livers aren't 100% necessary, but I'd recommend trying them if you're not afraid - even using half the amount listed would help. After the liver lost its deep purple color, I loaded the rest of the meat in. The combination of lamb, pork, and veal used by Barbara Lynch is excellent, especially since veal contains a lot of gelatin to keep things high quality and velvety smooth. The problem is that veal can be hard to find and expensive. I choose to use a mixture of identical lamb, red meat and pork items, or possibly red meat items for at least one pork item. We will deal with the gelatin shortage problem later.

At this point, in my all-oven-based recipe, I fully cook the meats until they lose their fresh color, but now not until they start to brown - once. more for the purpose of keeping them sweet while preparing dinner. . I tried using this technique in a pressure cooker, and the result was too much liquid (Bolognese soup, anyone?). Instead, for this pressure cooker model, for dinner I cook beef until all of its liquid has evaporated and it begins to sizzling in its own fat. It takes about 20-30 minutes, but most of the time is unattended, except sometimes annoying. You'll hear beef being cooked as the sound changes from bubbling water (think: witch's cauldron) to the sizzling sound of frying (think: witch soaking in hot oil). 

Another reason you might want to reduce that amount of gravy: you'll add a little more liquid. First, I load up the glasses of dry red or white wine, then let it cool completely before adding 14 oz. crushed tomatoes (you can use the awesome crushed tomato icon like Cento, Muir Glen, or Bianco DiNapoli, or you can start with peeled and hand-crushed tomatoes), one cup millet chook in which I dissolved one oz of powdered gelatin (that's 4 x 0.25 ounce packets) and a cup of heavy cream. While my other recipes start with milk and put the phone in to make it easier to add the cream at the end, with this model of the pressure cooker and the limitations it poses to ease - the pot Pressure doesn't allow moisture to escape as vapor - starting with a targeted supply of extra milk protein and fat becomes the right decision.

Then I opened the lid, put it under overpressure (12-15 psi is what you're looking for) and let it cook dinner for 1/2 hour. When you toss and open the lid, you are first greeted with a wonderful aroma. You will find the sauce near the bottom of the pot is quite thick, the top is bubbly; when you stir, everything will clear up and start coming back together. Once the lid is opened, it will take another 30-45 minutes to subside, during which time you may see a red grease stain starting to form on the surface. Don't worry, everything will emulsify in the sauce as you reduce and stir. (No one said Bolognese ragù turned into exercise food.)

As it begins to evolve into its newest form, it may be time for some last-minute additions. I add a generous amount of healthy grated parmesan cheese, which not only adds flavor but also helps emulsify the sauce. Some finely chopped parsley and basil are also added to the pot, along with a final sip of cream and some fish sauce, to enhance the flavor of the dish.

This dish is so delicious that I sometimes get distracted from cooking the noodles as I hover my mouse over the pan with a spoon, tasting sample after sample. Of course, to get the right seasoning. 

How to make pasta sauce the right way

No matter how carefully you mix the sauce, it only matters if you a) don't use the right kind of pasta, b) don't prepare the pasta properly, and most importantly, c) don't combine them at all. 2 the same right way. Street.

Choosing the right paste is the clean part. For a hearty sauce like bolognese, you need either wide, long, flat pasta (including tagliatelle or pappardelle) or quick pasta with lots of ridges to form the sauce (including pasta) , rotini or penne rigate). If you are suggesting to use long and flat pasta which is an event then you should definitely try the brilliant ones.

Fresh pasta has a coarser base so the grip of the sauce is higher. Likewise, domestic manufacturers of imported or dried pasta can be trained with brass extrusions, rather than the modern Teflon liners used by inexpensive pasta makers. . Brass extruders are slower and harder to paint, but produce pasta with a coarser, taller bottom to get that sauce. Look for dry pasta that is murky, cracked soil rather than smooth.

Fresh pasta should also be cooked as your Italian grandma told you: with plenty of water, so it has room to transport. It will only take a minute or so in the boiling water before it is ready to mix with the sauce. For dry pasta, you don't need a lot of water - just submerge about an inch and you'll get premium sauce results. I cook my dry pasta until it's almost completely smooth, with a bit of chalk in the middle remaining - it will finish cooking in the sauce.

Either way, forget the recommendation of making the noodle water taste "salty like the sea". As Daniel demonstrated, seawater is too salty for pasta. About a tablespoon of Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or a teaspoon and a half of table salt) per quart is what you should aim for.

Once your pasta is cooked comes the big moment: adjust the consistency. I find it easier to sauce my pasta in a large skillet or slanted pan than in a large Dutch oven or stock pot. Pour the desired amount of sauce over the noodles you're cooking (usually a little less than you'd like) and make sure the sauce is hot when your pasta is done. Drain the noodles, save some of the starchy broth, then immediately add to the pan with the sauce and start stirring.

Now, look closely at how the sauce feels and how it sticks to the pasta. Do you see drops of oil inside the pan? Does the sauce stick to the noodles or slip? The sauce in the image above has been greatly reduced - see how the pasta is almost completely bare and how the peanuts rest on the steel of the pan with almost no liquid around them. ? This is when the noodle soup you ordered in advance comes into play.

Adding some of this starchy liquid to the pot and boiling/stirring vigorously will help the sauce emulsify and become creamy, so it adheres better to the pasta.

That's the feeling you're looking for - creamy and sassy. (After all, it's called "sauce" and no longer "crumbs that may be moist, but no longer have a pasta-like texture" for a reason.)

The ultimate key to perfectly textured noodles on the table? Don't wait to consume it!

From the moment the pasta reaches the fresh water, you've pressed the countdown lever and you and your guests should be better prepared to eat while the pasta is ready to eat. You see, because the pasta is hot, there are a few factors at play. First, you reduce the humidity, both the water absorbed into the pasta and the water evaporated into the atmosphere (the steam from the meals seemed great, but it no longer serves these meals). Second, the sauce cools and the longer it sits, the thicker the sauce becomes. Leave the noodles and sauce on for too long, and you might pick them up in a big lump.

Two questions might help here. First, you can reheat plates by placing them in a low-heat oven for a few minutes. The hot plate will keep the pasta and sauce warm. Second, train your guests to be rude. Tell them now not to sit there and watch the meal bleed because they don't have to be the first to help, or because they expect people to pour their wine for them. Eat the damn pasta - you've spent enough time perfecting this sauce!

Well, truth be told, you certainly didn't spend much time on the sauce, until Mr. Pressure was there, but your guests don't want to know about that, do they?

This has to be the best aspect running through their heads right now (or should I say it out of their mouth?).

Formula Events

• Activity: 60 minutes
• Total: 2h30
• Make: 8 to 10 servings
  

Element

• 1 cup (225 mL) homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth
• 4 packets of powdered gelatin (1 ounce; 30g)
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 pound (225 g) finely chopped pancetta
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced ​​(about 1 1/2 cup; 300g)
• 2 large carrots, finely chopped (about 1 cup; 200g) 
• 2 large celery stalks, finely chopped (about 1 cup; 200g)
• 4 medium cloves of garlic, minced (about 4 teaspoons; 15g)
•  1/4 cup fresh sage leaves, chopped (about 1/4 ounce; 8 g)
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped (about 1/2 ounce; 15 g), divided
• 1/2 pound (225 g) shredded chicken liver
• 2 pounds (900g) ground beef (about 20% cups)
• 1 pound (450g) ground pork shoulder (about 20% tons)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups (450 ml) dry red wine
• 1 can (14 ounces; 400 g) tomato puree, preferably San Marzano
• 1 1/2 cups (350 mL) heavy cream, divided
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 ounces (80g) finely grated parmesan
• 1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 ml) Vietnamese or Thai fish sauce
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped (about 1/4 ounce; 8g)
  

Service:

• 1 1/2 pounds (700 g) pappardelle or tagliatelle, or 1 pound (450 g) dry penne
• Finely ground parmesan

Direction

Place stock in 1 cup of liquid and sprinkle with gelatin. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a pressure cooker over medium to high heat until simmering. Add pancetta and cook for dinner, stirring often, until pancetta is golden and crispy, about 12 minutes. Add onion, carrot, celery, garlic, sage, and half of parsley and prepare dinner, stirring, until tender but no longer brown, about 8 minutes. Turn the heat up to excess, add the chicken liver and cook for dinner, stirring until the liver is no longer pink, about five minutes.

Add pork and pork, season with salt and pepper just prepared for dinner, use a wooden spoon or potato masher to stir and shred until meat is no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the extra liquid evaporates and the beef begins to sizzle, about 25 minutes.

Add inventory and mix gelatin, wine, tomatoes, 1 cup heavy cream, and bay leaf. Cover and cook dinner over high pressure (12-15 psi) for 30 minutes. Release the tension and remove the cover. Cook over low heat until thickened and emulsified, 30 to 45 minutes longer.

Add 1/2 cup thick cream, Parmesan cheese, fish sauce, basil and parsley and mix well. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly to create an emulsion. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bolognese can be refrigerated and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for at least one week.

To serve: Heat bolognese in a large saucepan until simmering. Set aside. Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water until slightly thickened. Drain, set aside 1/2 cup of cooking liquid. Transfer to a large skillet or saute pan and add 3/4 of the sauce, next to the cooking water. Heat, stirring gently until sauce thickens and coats pasta, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a serving bowl and coat with sauce. Serve immediately, leaving extra Parmesan cheese on the table.

Classic Grilled Lasagna Bolognese Recipe (Lasagna alla bolognese)

Classic Grilled Lasagna Bolognese Recipe (Lasagna alla bolognese)

Nys Aqyla    9/15/2022   

Homemade bolognese sauce and creamy dumplings, layered with pasta plates.

In the US, when most people say they're going to make lasagna, they almost always mean the dish is toasted with wide noodles with thick layers of ricotta, mozzarella, and tomato or meat sauces. . But this limited use of the term doesn't begin to capture the vast possibilities of lasagna as it is made in Italy, and in particular, the queen of all lasagna: lasagna bolognese.

What is Lasagna Bolognese?

The word lasagna itself, technically just refers to the noodles - wide, flat and rectangular - which is why Italians almost always use the plural, lasagna. Lasagna is also one of the oldest forms of pasta, which makes sense considering it's actually the starting point for so many other pastas: you have to make the lasagna before you can cut a thing. something like fettuccine or pappardelle in them. Considering their age, there are probably 50 lasagna recipes for every square inch of Italian soil,* and not all of them are layered and baked.

Don't quote me on that.

In Liguria, for example, lasagna is rolled to an almost transparent level when cooked, then drizzled with pesto. Sure, they call it mandilli de saea (or fazzoletti di seta), a reference to the silk handkerchiefs that the noodles look like, but they're lasagna anyway.

Meanwhile, in Naples, you can find lasagna alla napoletana, a wonderful grilled version stuffed with every delicacy you can imagine. However, the one I crave the most is lasagna alla Bolognese, which originated in Emilia-Romagna in north-central Italy. It's a simple basic recipe, with just a few key ingredients: pasta; meat sauce, called ragù Bolognese; besciamella (also called Béchamel or white sauce); and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Despite its hearty setting, the real beauty of Lasagna Bolognese is its sophistication. The layers aren't overdone, making sure the pasta (and your mouth) isn't swept away by the richness of the filling.

No ricotta in it, no mozzarella, no spinach leaves, mushrooms, or other heavy additions commonly found in other lasagna recipes.

Instead, the silky texture is the result of delicate layers of fresh noodles and long-cooked gelatin-coated ragù, all skillfully bonded by a layer of besciamella cream. And the flavor, while strong and meaty, has a hint of sweetness, a gift from all the carb- and dairy-rich ingredients (plus the judicious use of nutmeg). It's as close to perfection as any baking powder I've ever eaten, and while you're free to stuff it with additional ingredients if you want, try it at least in its most basic form first, because I really think it doesn't. don't want anything.

To make it work, you have to think about every ingredient – ​​like many of the best Italian dishes, Lasagna Bolognese is relatively simple, which means poor technique and confusing shortcuts that have very little to do. hide.

Look at the ingredients: Pasta

 

Many experts, including Italian food agency Marcella Hazan, tell you that if you're not ready to make your own fresh lasagna from scratch, you shouldn't worry about preparing the dish. I don't agree with that. While fresh homemade lasagna, rolled from egg-enriched dough, can make the top of the dish, it's not a requirement. (In fact, Kenji even calls for unboiled dry lasagna noodles in his lasagna recipe.)

First of all, you can now buy fresh (or frozen) lasagna noodles in abundance at many supermarkets, delivering undeniably delicious results. And, to be honest, while it doesn't look like it, even dry pasta can work well - the pasta in lasagna should be overcooked anyway, so you can Stab it with a fork without too much resistance, and the dry pasta lends this variety almost overcooked as well as fresh. If you're ready to make pasta from scratch, you should start by reading Niki's in-depth test of fresh pasta dough, in which she dialed in the sweet spot (as long as it can last. at) for a flour-based dough. and eggs. You can follow her regular pasta recipe or her spinach-enriched recipe. Technically, spinach pasta is the more traditional choice for a lasagna bolognese, but I don't see that as more of a claim than a homemade pasta dish.

One of the benefits of making your own pasta is that you can control how thin the paper is. With lasagna bolognese, the thinner the better, at least to a point. I recommend rolling the sheets to about 6 or 7 on your pasta machine - thin enough that the layers of pasta aren't unnecessarily bulky, but also not so thin that Ligurian silk handkerchiefs. Once they're unrolled, cut the long sheets of paper into rectangles of a more manageable length of about 8 inches.

To make pasta, I cook it in boiling salted water until cooked through, with only a slight resiliency when you chew it (it gets softer in the oven). Then I let the noodles cool in a bowl of ice water, drained, and lightly rubbed with oil so the noodles wouldn't stick. If you plan to store cooked noodles for a while, I recommend placing the oiled sheets on a parchment-lined baking tray with several layers of plastic wrap between them again, to prevent them from sticking together. .

Appearance Ingredients: Bolognese Ragù

 

 Next up is ragù bolognese, and we at Serious Eats have helped you perform on that front in many ways. Bolognese is a meat sauce usually made with beef, and sometimes pork and/or veal; Lamb is not an unheard of addition.

While there are probably as many recipes for Bolognese sauce as lasagna, it always starts with soffritto, a sautéed blend of herbs like onions, carrots, and celery. While alive, the Italians called this mixture of chopped vegetables abeatto, which means "beating," and hardened back to the days when they ground all the aromatics into a coarse mixture with a mortar and pestle. For this reason, I tend to opt for the pre-cut, hand-made biscuits (because I'm a bit grainy), but it can be easily done much quicker in a food processor. I love how the finer ground meat almost disappears between the pieces in the sauce.

In addition to soffritto and meat, Bolognese usually contains small amounts of tomatoes, either in a mashed or paste form, but not enough to form a complete tomato sauce, as well as wine (red or white, but still dry... and don't worry too much about the quality), plus a touch of warm spice like nutmeg and a good bit of milk or cream, for a smooth, luxurious finish.

 

You can choose from many different recipes for this. First, there's the slow-cooked version of Kenji, made to look like the real thing. Among the newest elements in his recipe are pancetta, lamb liver and chicken for added richness and depth; It also cooks the sauce in the oven rather than on the stove, which takes longer but delivers a darker flavor and softer texture, thanks to a combination of mild heat and topping.

Kenji also posted a Bolognese Pressure Cooker recipe, which is a great time saver without sacrificing much in terms of quality. If you have a pressure cooker, this is definitely something to consider. I also wrote my own bolognese recipe, just for this lasagna. It's a bit simpler than Kenji's, both a bit easier and to achieve the specific flavor I was looking for - bringing out those sweet milky notes and toning down some of the pancetta, livery intensity. chicken and lamb. My recipe isn't a quick and easy recipe by any means, though if you make it on the stove it takes three, maybe four hours. You can also bake according to Kenji's method, which will provide subtle flavor and texture improvements, but will likely take an hour or two longer.

It takes a while, but the sauce solidifies well, making it an ingredient you can make to your liking, then defrost whenever you want to make your lasagna (or serve with pasta). fresh tagliatelle).

There are several important steps in all of our ragù recipes. The first is to add unflavored gelatin to the chicken broth before adding it to the pot, especially if you're using a store-bought broth, which doesn't have the gelatin that good homemade broth always has. Gelatin is important because it provides a rich, enveloping viscosity that best separates sauces from all soft, watery sauces. Incidentally, using ground veal in bolognese also increases the gelatin factor.

An alternative is to brown only part of the mince, or start with the meat in large chunks to brown, then grind later. That's because browning offers great flavor development, but sacrifices texture by over-drying the browned parts - browning requires drying, so there's no good way to solve this problem. By browning only part of the meat, we get that wonderful grilled flavor, but we reserve a softer texture in the rest of the undercooked meat. It is a win-win outcome and good for all.

Appearance Ingredients: Besciamella (large white dope)

 

Aside from grated parmesan, besciamella is the most basic of all lasagna bolognese ingredients, but its importance should not be underestimated. It's the delicious creamy sauce that ties it all together, helping to combine meat sauces with silky-smooth pasta sheets while underscoring the dish's rich, milky flavors and highlighting the spice of nutmeg. that warmth (found in both ragù and besciamella).

The trick to getting it right is to create a version with the correct flour-to-milk ratio, which in this case means less flour for a thinner white sauce. This is because the lasagna will thicken as the lasagna cooks, so if you start with a thicker sauce, it will become mushy when the lasagna comes out of the oven. I use a ratio of just over a tablespoon of flour per cup of milk. The artificial part will melt easily in layers, but will achieve the perfect, slow-flowing consistency after baking.

Also, this method is classic. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour to form a thick paste, then cook until the raw smell of the dough is gone, but not to the point of starting to brown. Then, slowly pour in the milk in a drip, whisking well to avoid lumps and to make sure the sauce is really smooth and silky.

One thing to watch out for: Besciamella has a tendency to rapidly develop thickened skin on top when sitting; you can avoid this by pressing plastic wrap to the surface. Then keep warm until you're ready to use.

Assemble and cook your lasagna

Once all the ingredients are prepared, all that remains is to assemble and cook the lasagna.

Step 1: Butter the baking dish, then start layering the ragu and pasta

Start by marinating a baking dish (9 x 13 inches works well for my recipe), then lay out a thin layer of ragù, just to serve as the base for the first layer of pasta. Now cover the ragù with sheets of pasta; some overlap is fine, but you can trim the pasta as needed to avoid too much duplication.

Step 2: Add ragu, pasta, bread and cheese

Then add another thin layer of ragù, followed by besciamella fillet and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Step 3: Repeat until the baking dish is full

Repeat this sequence of layers until the baking dish is full; it's about six layers in total for me. 

Sauce Tip:

The most important thing is not to let the meat sauce get too thick, however you might be tempted. Each individual layer should be thin, as it will increase as each layer is stacked on top of the last; If you do it right, the pasta will be cooked to the same ratio as uncooked pasta (i.e. not too much sauce). Too much sauce will only overwhelm the noodles and reduce the structural integrity of the layers after cutting and plating the lasagna. (Anyone who really wants the sauce can just ignore all that and eat it from the bowl with a spoon. There's no shame in that.) 

Step 4: Finish with Besciamella and cheese

Once you've reached the top of the pasta, spread the rest of the toast on top, no more crumbs needed, then drizzle the final amount of grated cheese on top.

Step 5: Cook lasagna

The whole dish can be baked in a 375°F (190°C) oven until bubbly and golden on top, about 35 minutes. Then let it sit for at least 10 minutes, so it can harden slightly and hold together better after you cut.

It may not reach dizzying heights or overflow with thick layers of cheese, but it more than holds its place in the lasagna gallery – I mean, who could argue that there are more ways to do it. keep interesting things between sheets of paper?

 

 

Recipe event

• Preparation: 15 minutes
• Cooking: 65 minutes
• Activity: 40 minutes
• Total: 80 minutes
• Servings: 8 servings

Element

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 ounces; 60 g), plus more for baking grease
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour (1.25 ounces; 35g)
• 3 cups (700 ml) whole milk
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
• 2 pounds (900 g) homemade fresh egg or spinach pasta or store-bought fresh lasagna or 2 cans (450 g) dry lasagna (see note)
• Vegetable oil to lubricate pasta
• 1 1/2 pints (1.5 L) warm bolognese sauce (choose this classic slow cooker version, this richer grilled version, or this pressure cooker version)
• 3 ounces (85g) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

 Direction

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-high (don't let the butter brown). Add in the flour and beat to form a smooth paste. Continue cooking while stirring until the coarse flour smell is gone, about 1 minute. Whisk continuously, adding milk in a thin, even form, or in quantities of several tablespoons at a time, whisking thoroughly and working into all corners of the pan to maintain an even texture. The sauce will initially become very thick, then become very thin when all the milk has been added. 

Cook while stirring, until sauce comes to a boil and begins to thicken slightly. Reduce heat and cook while stirring, until sauce is just thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 3 minutes.
 
Season with salt and pepper. Puree the nutmeg. If any clumps form, simply whisk well to remove them and smooth the sauce, or use a hand blender or tabletop mixer if the clumps are particularly large or hard. Use bechamel sauce immediately or press a piece of plastic wrap over the surface of the sauce to prevent skin from forming and keep warm until ready to use. (Bechamel sauce can be chilled and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few days. Warm gently on the stovetop or in the microwave to use.)
 
If using homemade pasta: Follow the recipe and instructions here until step 10 (you'll have long pieces of fresh pasta), double the amount for a total of 2 pounds (this will make a lot of pasta). more pipes than you need, but it's best to have more and avoid running out of them halfway through assembly). Cut these leaves into rectangles about 8 inches long.
 
In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta, batching as needed, until cooked through (this will vary depending on the type of noodles you use, but for store-bought pasta, less 1 minute above package instructions), then use a spider or strainer to transfer immediately into a large ice bath to cool.

Drain, then lightly rub each sheet with vegetable oil on both sides (to prevent sticking). You can keep cooked pasta sheets for up to 3 hours, but if you do, it's best to arrange them on a parchment-lined baking tray, with several layers.

 

If using uncooked pasta: Soak in warm water for 30 minutes to partially hydrate, then drain on paper towels or paper towels.

To assemble and cook the lasagna, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Spread a thin, even layer of ragù on the bottom of a baking dish, then layer with lasagna noodles; It's okay if they overlap a bit, but you can cut off any oversized sheets to avoid excessive doubles.

Cover the noodles with another thin layer of ragù (thin enough that you can see the noodles in some places). Pour a small amount of bechamel over the entire stew, then top with a layer of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Repeat this layering process with pasta, ragù, béchamel, and grated cheese until the baking sheet is full; It will be about 6 layers. Finish with a layer of pasta on top, then coat the remaining bechamel sauce evenly on top. Grate the last large amount of cheese on top.

 

Bake lasagna until bubbly and golden on top, about 35 minutes (place a rimmed baking sheet under baking dish to protect well in case something floats). Let stand 10 minutes, then serve.

Read More

•     Basic Ragù Bolognese
•     Best simmered bolognese sauce
•     Bolognese ragu recipe in a pressure cooker