Lasagna with Bolognese Ragù

INSTRUCTIONS FOR LASAGNA

• 1
  Preheat the oven to 180°C. Prepare a bowl with ice water.
• 2
  Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package.
• 3
  Spread 2 tablespoons of béchamel on the bottom of a baking dish, then place a layer of pasta sheets. Spread a quarter of the béchamel over it, add a quarter of the Parmesan, and spread a quarter of the ragù over it.
• 4
  Place another layer of pasta on top and continue in the same way until there are 4 layers in the dish. On the last layer, place pasta sheets, spread the remaining béchamel, and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.
• 5
  Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Instructions for Ragù

• 1
  Prepare a spice bag: place bay leaves, peppercorns, and allspice berries in a cloth. Tie it tightly with kitchen twine.
• 2
  Finely chop the onion and garlic. Cut the carrot and celery into 0.5 cm cubes.
• 3
  Wash the stalk of celery, cut it lengthwise into halves, and then cut into small pieces.
• 4
  Grind the meat. Cut the lardo, pancetta, or bacon into 1 cm cubes.
• 5
  Heat oil in a pot over medium heat and add the lardo. Once it starts to brown, add the carrot, celery, and stalk celery. Sauté the vegetables until golden, stirring frequently.
• 6
  Add the onion and sauté until golden, stirring frequently.
• 7
  Add the meat and garlic. Mix everything thoroughly and salt. Reduce the heat to one-third and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
• 8
  Add the tomato paste and mix thoroughly. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
• 9
  Add the spice bag and freshly ground pepper. Pour in the wine, stir, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• 10
  Add 100 ml of water, reduce the heat to minimum, add nutmeg, stir, and cover with a lid. Let it simmer for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. If the liquid evaporates, add 100 ml of water.

Instructions for Béchamel

• 1
  Finely chop the onion.
• 2
  Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter starts to foam, add the onion and let it foam for 30 seconds, stirring constantly over medium heat. Add pepper and mix.
• 3
  Add the flour and stir for 1 minute. Pour in all the cold milk and mix thoroughly with a whisk. Add the bay leaf, nutmeg, salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to minimum and cook for 20 minutes, stirring constantly.
• 4
  Strain the finished béchamel through a fine sieve.