VENETIAN LASAGNE (LASAGNE DI IL RIFUGIO)
By John Michael Lerma
1 batch of Meat Ragu’ (see recipe below)
½ cup unsalted butter
¾ cup all-purpose flour
3 cups of whole milk
1 bay leaf
Kosher or Hawaiian salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoons freshly ground nutmeg
4 large egg yolks, slightly beaten
16 ounces fresh or dried lasagna
1 ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 ¼ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Prepare Meat Ragu’ and set aside. Spray a 13 X 9 oblong baking pan with cooking spray.
In a heavy bottom saucepan prepare the sauce. Over low heat melt butter. Add flour and stir until well blended. Remove from heat and slowly add 1/3 of the milk. Stir until smooth and no lumps. Add bay leaf. Continue adding the rest of the milk and return to heat, stirring until sauce thickens. Remove bay leaf once sauce has thickened. Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Combine a small amount of the hot sauce to the beaten eggs yolks. Add egg mixture to sauce and continue cooking over low hear for additional 2 minutes. Stir continuously to prevent scorching.
Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Prepare pasta by directions on package. Remove pasta from water 2 minutes before completely cooked for firmer lasagna. Lay pasta on dish towels to remove excess water.
Have all components ready. Spread ¼ cup of Meat Ragu’ over the bottom of the baking pan. Arrange your first layer of pasta, cutting any pieces to make sure they fit the pan well. Cover the pasta with a thin layer of the Meat Ragu’ and then with a layer of the sauce. Scatter about ¼ cup of the cheese over the sauce. Repeat this process and order until you have three layers. End with a later of the sauce. Scatter remaining cheeses and dot with unsalted butter.
Bake uncovered for about 20 minutes or until the cheese have baked to a golden brown. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 8-10. Mangia!
MEAT RAGU’
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¾ cup yellow onion, chopped
2 tablespoons pancetta, unsmoked
1 large carrot, thinly sliced
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey
Kosher or Hawaiian salt
Freshly ground black pepper
¾ cup red wine
½ cup milk (regular or vanilla soy)
2 cups Roma tomatoes, chopped with juice (See recipe under Roma Tomatoes in this chapter)
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon fresh English or French thyme
In a heavy bottom saucepan, melt butter. Stir in oil and onion. Cook over medium heat until onion is translucent. Add pancetta and cook until it begins to crisp. Blend in carrot, celery and garlic and cook until tender about 8 minutes.
Crumble in ground meat. Cook until browned. Season with salt and pepper. Add wine, turn up heat to medium-high, and cook until the liquid evaporates about 15 minutes. Add milk and reduce by half.
Pour tomatoes into meat mixture. Stir in herbs and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours. Stir ragu’ occasionally until glossy and resembles a meaty jeweled sauce.
