Lasagna alla Bolognese

By Sharon Sanders

Lasagne alla Bolognese (Bolognese-style lasagna) is a dish that embodies the allure of slow food. It has only four components but each deserves attention.

Little language lesson:

Lasagna (singular) is one sheet of pasta.

Lasagne (plural) is more than one sheet of pasta.

The Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is the ingredient that takes the most time to produce—an average of two years. Luckily for us, the fine cheese makers of the Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano-Reggiano shoulder that task.

The salsa besciamella (béchamel) can be whipped up on the stovetop in 10 minutes. I enrich my besciamella with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (salsa alla Parmigiana) which makes it technically a Mornay sauce.

The fresh spinach pasta isn’t difficult but requires time for rolling and resting before it is blanched.

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Ragù alla Bolognese is the key flavoring element and, as might be expected, requires the longest cooking time. Note that I said time, not effort. I like to simmer a potful of sauce on a weekend afternoon when I’m home and doing other things. I’ll cool it and either refrigerate it or freeze it for later use.

Another good approach, especially if you plan to serve the dish to guests, is to assemble the lasagne and freeze it. Layer the ingredients in a freezer-to-ovenproof baking dish and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Freeze for up to three weeks. Bake as directed in the recipe.

Pasta Verde (fresh egg spinach pasta)

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Recipe type: Pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Roll the dough to the thinnest setting on the pasta machine to create gossamer sheets.

Author: Sharon Sanders, ©simpleitaly.com

Serves: 1 pound

Ingredients

• 1 bag (6 ounces) washed baby spinach, stems removed
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2½ to 3 cups all-purpose flour
• Semolina flour for dusting

Instructions

1. Place the spinach in a large skillet. Cover and cook over high heat for about 3 minutes, or until wilted. Drain and set aside to cool. Squeeze the spinach dry then chop as finely as possible.
2. To prepare by hand: With a fork, beat the eggs and spinach in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add 2 to 2¼ cups of flour, stirring to make a soft dough. One tablespoon at a time, gradually add flour from the remaining ¾ cup, until the dough starts to clump together.
3. Spread the remaining flour on a work surface, pushing most of it to the side. With a pastry scraper, turn the dough onto the work surface. Sprinkle lightly with some of the flour. Start kneading the dough, using the pastry scraper in one hand.
4. Knead, adding scant amounts of flour as needed, about 5 minutes, or until the dough is as smooth as Play-Doh. All the flour may not be needed. Check the dough for air bubbles, lumps, or streaks of flour by cutting it in half with a sharp knife. Shape it into a ball, dust lightly with flour, and cover with a ceramic bowl for 30 minutes.
5. To prepare the dough in a food processor: In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, process the eggs and spinach until smooth. Add 2¼ cups of flour, processing until smooth. With the machine running, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time from the remaining ¾ cup of flour. Process until the dough forms a ball. Spread the remaining flour on a work surface, pushing most of it to the side. Turn the dough onto the work surface. Proceed with hand kneading (above).
6. To roll the pasta: Cut the dough into 6 pieces. Work with one piece at a time while keeping the others covered. Set the pasta rollers at the widest opening. Press the dough with your palm to flatten. Dust lightly with flour. Run through the rollers. Dust lightly. Fold one short side of the dough strip two-thirds over. Fold the other short end over the first fold. Feed the narrow end through the widest roller setting. Dust lightly. Continue rolling, closing the rollers one notch at a time and dusting with flour as needed. Roll to the narrowest setting, until the pasta sheet is about 4 inches wide and 1/16-inch thick.
7. Lay the pasta sheets on cotton kitchen towels dusted with semolina flour. Sprinkle semolina flour on top. Cover with towels. Allow to sit for 30 to 60 minutes.
8. Set a covered large pot of salted water over high heat. Set up a large bowl filled with ice water close to the cooking pot.
9. When the water boils, add 1 tablespoon salt. Dust the flour from the pasta sheets and gently add half of the pasta sheets. Stir gently with a wooden fork. When the water returns to the boil, use a large skimmer to carefully remove the pasta to a large bowl of ice water. Continue cooking the remaining pasta. Transfer to ice water. Carefully remove pasta sheets and spread flat on damp cotton kitchen towels spread out on a work surface.

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