Lasagna (Beef and Pancetta)

mostdeliciouslasagnaalltime Advice from a dear friend's Italian Nona, the most important thing Maria had to say is that “ricotta is a hard no. Lasagna must be made with béchamel sauce - and you should season it with a pinch of nutmeg.” When asked about meat sauce versus Bolognese, Maria was adamant about Bolognese sauce. Even though it’s a lot of work, she says it makes a more flavourful lasagna. Lastly, she emphasized that a good lasagna starts with high-quality ingredients. This point sounds so simple, but having tested this recipe using a variety of brands, I whole-heartedly agree. This is my spin on a traditional Italian lasagna as told by Nona Maria. It has all the components you’d expect, but I’ve taken a few liberties to minimize both prep and cook time. It’s creamy, saucy and feels incredibly special without tasting overly rich or heavy and it’s the farthest thing from being dry. Making lasagna is a labour of love since it takes a fair amount of time, but the good news is that nothing about this recipe is tricky or complicated and it uses readily available, easy-to-find ingredients.

Bolognese Sauce:
4 oz pancetta, diced (~ 1 cup)
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced (~ 1½ cups)
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely diced (~ ½ cup)
1 medium stalk celery, finely diced (~ ⅓ cup)
3 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil, as needed
1 lb lean ground beef
1 tsp. sea salt
¼ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
½ cup dry white wine
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce

Béchamel Sauce and Assembly:
2 cups whole or 2% milk, at room temperature
4 Tbsp. (½ stick) butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour, unbleached
1 tsp. sea salt
⅛ tsp. ground nutmeg
15 dried lasagna noodles (not no-boil; most of a 1 lb box)
2 oz Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (1⅓ cups freshly grated or 1 cup store-bought grated), divided

Make the Bolognese Sauce:
Cook 4 oz diced pancetta in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the fat is rendered and the pancetta is lightly browned, 6-8 minutes. Stir in 1 finely diced medium yellow onion, 1 peeled and finely diced medium carrot, 1 finely diced medium celery stalk and 3 minced cloves garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5-8 minutes. If the pan begins to dry, out add up to 1 Tbsp. olive oil.

Add 1 lb lean ground beef and season with 1 tsp. sea salt and ¼ tsp. black pepper. Cook, breaking up the beef into smaller pieces, until cooked through, 5-6 minutes.

Stir in 2 Tbsp. tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until darkened in colour, 2-3 minutes. Stir in ½ cup dry white wine and cook until almost evaporated, 2-3 minutes. Stir in 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes and 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce and bring to a simmer.

Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the sauce is slightly thickened and the flavours meld, about 30 minutes. Taste and season with more sea salt as needed. While the sauce is simmering, soak the lasagna noodles and make the béchamel sauce.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4).

Soak the Noodles and Make the Béchamel Sauce:
Arrange 15 dried lasagna noodles in an even layer in a 9x13” baking dish. Add enough very hot tap water to completely cover the noodles and let soak for 20 minutes, moving the noodles around occasionally and separating any stacked noodles.

Melt 4 Tbsp. butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add ¼ cup all-purpose flour and cook, whisking constantly, until the paste is bubbling and begins to dry out slightly, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in 2 cups room temperature whole milk until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Season with 1 tsp. sea salt and ⅛ tsp. ground nutmeg. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

Assemble and Bake the Lasagna:
Drain the lasagna noodles. Wipe the baking dish dry.

Evenly spread ½ cup of the Bolognese sauce in the baking dish. Arrange 5 of the lasagna noodles in an even layer on top of the sauce, breaking them as needed to fit (it’s OK if the noodles overlap slightly).

Dollop and spread about 2½ cups of the Bolognese sauce over the noodles. Dollop and spread ¾ cup of the béchamel sauce over the Bolognese (the sauces will blend together a little bit, but should still be 2 distinct layers). Evenly sprinkle with ¼ of the grated Parmesan cheese (⅓ cup freshly grated or ¼ cup store-bought grated).

Repeat layering lasagna noodles, Bolognese sauce, béchamel sauce and Parmesan. Top with the remaining 5 lasagna noodles. Stir the remaining Bolognese and béchamel together, then spread evenly onto the noodles to completely cover. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan (⅔ cup freshly grated or ½ cup store-bought grated).

Bake uncovered until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Switch the oven to broil and broil until the cheese is lightly browned in spots, 2-3 minutes. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

Cook's Notes:

Make-Ahead: The Bolognese sauce and béchamel can be made up to 2 days ahead. Refrigerate in separate airtight containers, placing a sheet of plastic wrap or parchment paper directly onto the surface of the béchamel to prevent a skin from forming before sealing the container. Gently reheat each sauce until warmed through before assembling the lasagna. The lasagna can be assembled up to 1 day ahead before baking. Let cool completely, cover and refrigerate. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking uncovered.
Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Substitutions:

No-boil noodles work quite well as an alternative to regular dried lasagna noodles and do a nice job of mimicking the texture of more thin, fresh lasagna noodles. If using no-boil noodles, you’ll need just enough for the three layers of pasta (a 9 oz box of Barilla noodles was sufficient for me) and there’s no need to soak them before assembling.
Canned diced tomatoes (and the juices) or whole peeled tomatoes can be used as a substitute for crushed tomatoes. Be sure to crush the whole tomatoes with your hands or use an immersion blender or regular blender to break them down first.

Serving Suggestions: