I’ve been on a bit of an Italian food spree. I know, kinda crazy considering I’m normally into Mexican food 363 days of the year. But my fiance and I have been talking honeymoons and it’s got me thinking about Italy! I’ve been to Italy before, but it wasn’t to eat my way through the country… let’s be honest here, it was in high school, and I was there to party. But now I’m feeling like it would be a great idea to go back, eat all the wonderful food from different parts of the country and do a little relaxing. So all this day dreaming had me craving some lasagna.
Now this isn’t just any lasagna. This is kinda one of the best lasagnas I’ve ever eaten in my life. And here is why…. 3 meats + bechamel sauce. It’s a little bit time consuming to make this, since the 3 meat ragu sauce takes about 2 hours to cook, but trust me when I tell you that it’s absolutely worth it! It’s perfect for a dinner party with good friends or a fun family meal!
Ingredients
- 1 package no-boil lasagna sheets
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
- Bechamel
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 2 2/3 cups milk
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
- Ragu
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 4 oz pancetta, finely chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 small carrot, chopped
- 4 ounces ground veal
- 4 ounces ground pork
- 8 ounces ground beef
- 2/3 cup red wine
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups milk
- 32 oz canned plum tomatoes, roughly crushed
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium high heat. Once it's melted, add the flour and whisk these two ingredients together to create a roux. As it turns golden brown, slowly add in the milk and whisk. Continue whisking until the bechamel is thick. Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. Set aside.
- In a large heavy bottom skillet over medium high heat, add the olive oil, pancetta, onion, celery and carrots. Saute for 10 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the ground veal, pork and beef and continue to saute until the meet is fully cooked.
- Add the red wine and let it reduce by half, about 5-6 minutes.
- Stir ½ cup stock into the saucepan and let it bubble slowly, 10 minutes, or until totally evaporated. Repeat with another ½ cup stock. Stir in the last 1/2 cup stock along with the milk. Adjust heat so the liquid bubbles very slowly. Partially cover the skillet, and cook 1 hour. Stir frequently to check for sticking.
- Add the tomatoes, crushing them as they go into the pot. Cook uncovered, at a very slow bubble for another 45 minutes, or until the sauce resembles a thick, meaty stew. Season with salt and pepper.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- To assemble, place a layer of the bechamel in a 9x9 baking pan, followed by a layer of the noodles and then topped with a layer of the ragu. Repeat this process 3 times.
- Top the lasagna with the mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 45-50 minutes until the top is golden. Let it rest for a few minutes before serving.
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
I love lasagna but have yet to make it with bechamel…thi weekend might be the time to change that!
One of my best friends, Ari at http://www.tastyretreat.com went to Italy last summer with her husband for their honeymoon and blogged about the places they went and the food that they ate! You should def check it out for Honeymoon-spiration
Oh yum….is there anything better than a big pan of lasagna? With Christmas Eve being so hectic, there are a lot of years when we have it for Christmas dinner! Easy, make-ahead and delicious!
If I was daydreaming about Italy, I would crave lasagna too! Or gnocchi!
That is heaven!!!
This is exactly what I’m craving on a cold Fall day like today! Looks delicious!
I make the same type of lasagne also and sometimes add 1/4 c. chopped Genoa salami and a few slices of minced pepperoni, not too much pepperoni or it will taste like pizza. True, takes more time, but well worth the extra effort.
I love all Italian food. Try making this with fresh noodles sometime. It is wonderful.
Italy would be amazing! And this also looks amazing, when I have a couple extra hours I will definitely have to try it!
My daughter doesn’t like ricotta in her lasagna–so this béchamel may be just the thing–thanks for bringing lasagna back onto the menu!
It is not yet noon, and my mouth is watering for dinner!
This sounds delish and I love all of the flavors that are in here like the red wine and the prosciutto. Ok, bechamel in lasagna is the bomb. My husband used to work at Wegmans way back when and that is how they made theirs. It was to die for…I will have to make this version next. It sounds absolutely perfect.
Absolutely wonderful dish to make! I love lasagna! Beautiful pics too!
I’ve always dreamed of eating my wy through Italy too! Well, just about every country really, but especially Italy!
This is the right way to make lasagne. I, too, make my lasagne with besciamella. I also make my own noodles and use non-alcoholic red wine or beef broth in place of wine (I don’t consume alcohol). Your lasagne look amazing!
I’ve never made lasagna before, but your pictures alone make me want to!
I love spending a few hours just cooking an amazing meal, so this sounds more than worth it to make. Can’t wait!
I loved this lasagna recipe – it really is much better than the one I have been making for years. I was afraid to try something that seemed very different, but took the plunge and very happy I did. My kids loved it and so did my husband, so I think this is going to be the one I make from now.
So glad you and your family loved it, Sophia!!! xoxo
I like to hear that when you break from Mexican food, it’s for Italian food as that’s my favorite food group out there!
honeymoon in Italy sounds perfect – you can watch all the romantic movies set there before you go whilst eating lasagna – not sure how large you’ll be when you get there!!!