Lasagna à la Mario

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 3 carrots
• 3 stalks celery
• 1 large onion(s)
• 75 g butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 300 g minced beef
• 200 g minced pork
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 100 ml milk
• 100 ml dry white wine
• 2 small cans of tomatoes, diced
• 200 ml chicken stock
• 1 lemon(s), untreated
• 1 some nutmeg
• 2 cloves garlic
• ½ tbsp oregano
• 1 pinch(s) of sugar
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 pinch(s) pepper, black
• 1 pinch(s) of cayenne pepper
• 1 package of lasagna sheets without pre-cooking
• 200 g cheese (Emmental), grated
• 1 tbsp butter for the mold
• 100 ml cream
• 250 ml béchamel sauce

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 3 hours; Total time approx. 3 hours 40 minutes

the perfect lasagna

First, dice the carrots, celery, and onions as finely as possible. Melt the olive oil and butter in a large pot, then cook the vegetables for 30 minutes. Do not boil or fry. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a pan and brown the minced meat until crumbly. Deglaze with white wine and simmer gently, then add the milk and reduce slightly. Add the tomatoes and chicken stock and reduce slightly. Add the minced meat to the vegetable soffritto. Now simmer the Bolognese for at least 2 hours (4-5 hours is ideal) over very low heat, more like simmering. Before the sauce is ready, halve the garlic, add the oregano, a little nutmeg, and a few thin slices of an unwaxed lemon (a cheese grater works well). Remove the lemon zest and garlic after five minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. I really like Thomy’s ready-made béchamel sauce. If you want, you can also make it yourself; you’re sure to find a suitable recipe here. Pour the sauce into a saucepan and heat gently while stirring. Grease an ovenproof dish with butter. Spread about 1/4 of the béchamel sauce evenly in the dish. Then place a layer of lasagna sheets on top, spread about 1/3 of the remaining sauce on top, and then spread about half of the Bolognese sauce on top. Spread another layer of lasagna sheets, béchamel sauce, and Bolognese sauce on top, and finish with lasagna sheets. Mix the remaining béchamel sauce with the cream and cheese and spread it over the lasagna sheets. Cook on the middle rack at 175°C for about 50 minutes. This has been our traditional New Year’s Eve meal for as long as I can remember. My father is Italian, and this recipe has been passed down through generations. My dad’s original recipe adds a can of peas and 250g of mushrooms to the Bolognese. But my wife, children, and I prefer it this way. Tip: Serve with lamb’s lettuce with thin slices of mushrooms and bacon for starters. For dessert, try tiramisu. This lasagna will be remembered by you and your guests for a long time. Please take your time to make the soffritto and to simmer the Bolognese.