Lasagne Verdi alla Bolognese

The best lasagne verdi around, this recipe layers homemade spinach pasta sheets with meat- and vegetable-filled ragu plus a creamy bechamel sauce.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 3 hr 20 mins
• Total Time: 3 hr 50 mins
• Calories: 389 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 pinch salt
• 2 cups whole milk
• salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 6 ounces ground pork
• 7 ounces ground beef
• 2 cups vegetable broth, or more as needed
• 2 medium eggs, at room temperature
• 1 (3 ounce) package pancetta, minced
• 0.25 cup water
• 0.125 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 cup whole milk
• 0.25 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 0.33333334326744 cup unsalted butter
• 0.5 cup diced celery
• 0.5 cup dry red wine
• 0.5 cup diced carrot
• 0.5 cup diced yellow onion
• 1.5 cups plain tomato sauce
• 0.5 (8 ounce) package frozen spinach
• 0.5 (16 ounce) package gluten-free all-purpose baking flour
• 0.33333334326744 cup gluten-free all-purpose baking flour

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 2

Saute pancetta in a large stockpot over medium-high heat until fat has rendered, 1 to 2 minutes. Add carrot, celery, onion, and oil. Cook and stir until vegetables have softened and onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add beef and pork. Cook, stirring and mashing meat into small crumbles, until browned, 5 to 7 minutes more.

Step 3

Stir wine into the stockpot and bring to a boil. Add tomato sauce and stir; pour in 1 cup broth. Reduce heat to low and partially cover the pot to allow steam to escape. Simmer sauce for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Step 4

Pour 1 more cup of broth into the sauce. Continue simmering until thick, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Add more broth only if absolutely necessary; ragu should drop, not run, off a spoon.

Step 5

Start preparing pasta after sauce has been cooking for 1 1/2 hours. Bring water and salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Add spinach and cover until it returns to a boil. Stir gently and cook until spinach is heated through. Remove from heat, leave covered, and let cool.

Step 6

Drain spinach in a mesh strainer set over a bowl, pressing it down with a fork to squeeze out as much water and possible; reserve the liquid. Puree spinach in a blender until smooth.

Step 7

Sift flour into a bowl. Make a well in the center; add eggs, spinach, and about 1 tablespoon of the reserved liquid. Mix together by hand or using the dough hook of a stand mixer, adding more liquid if needed. Knead until dough becomes a smooth ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Step 8

Taste the ragu and adjust salt. Remove from heat and add milk; stir well and set aside to cool.

Step 9

Divide pasta dough into 4 equal sections. Use a pasta machine, or rolling pin, dusted with flour, to roll pasta into 1/16-inch thick sheets. Lay sheets on clean dish towels to help them dry. Let rest for 20 minutes.

Step 10

Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Do not allow it to brown or burn. Add flour and whisk constantly until golden. Add 1/2 cup milk, whisking constantly. Repeat with remaining milk. Simmer until bechamel is thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with nutmeg and salt.

Step 11

Spread a bit of the ragu sauce over the base of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Add a layer of pasta. Top with a spoonful of sauce and bechamel. Add a spoonful of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Top with another layer of pasta. Add more sauce, bechamel, and cheese. Repeat layers until you reach the top; finish with a layer of pasta, bechamel, and cheese.

Step 12

Bake in the preheated oven until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese on top has browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Let lasagne rest for 10 or 15 minutes at room temperature before slicing.