Lasagna Bolognese
The perfect lasagna marries the silky, meaty richness of Bologna’s ragù with creamy besciamella.In Bologna, ragù Bolognese is a silky, rich meat sauce to serve over pasta or polenta. Married to creamy besciamella (the Italian version of French béchamel sauce), it makes a terrific lasagna. We also pair it with tagliatelle. Our take on lasagna Bolognese was inspired by a version we ate at Osteria Broccaindosso in Bologna.
Servings: 8 to 10
Ingredients
- 12 no-boil 6½-by-3½-inch lasagna noodles (see note)
- 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- 6 cups ragù Bolognese warmed
(see recipe) - 3 cups Parmesan besciamella warmed
(see recipe) - Finely grated Parmesan cheese to serve
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle position.Place the noodles in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, then add hot water (about 140°F) to cover, along with the oil and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; swish the noodles around to dissolve the salt.Let stand for 10 minutes, moving the noodles around halfway through to ensure they do not stick together.
- Remove the noodles from the water and arrange in a single layer on a kitchen towel; pat dry with paper towels. Wipe out the baking dish.Distribute 2 cups ragù evenly in the baking dish, then place 3 noodles in a single layer on top. Spread ¼ cup besciamella onto each noodle, all the way to the edges.Pour 1 cup ragù on top and spread evenly. Repeat the layering 3 more times, using the remaining noodles, besciamella and ragù, then cover the baking dish tightly with foil.
- Bake until the edges of the lasagna are bubbling, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer to a wire rack, uncover and cool for about 30 minutes. Cut into pieces and serve sprinkled with Parmesan.
