Step 1 of 10
Make the ragù first. Render the pancetta in a heavy pot over medium heat 5 minutes. Add the soffritto and sweat 10 minutes until soft and golden.
Step 2 of 10
Crank the heat. Add beef and pork. Break up and cook hard, stirring, until browned and the liquid evaporates, 12 minutes.
Step 3 of 10
Stir in tomato paste, cook 2 minutes. Pour in the wine, simmer until evaporated.
Step 4 of 10
Add passata and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to the lowest possible simmer. Cook uncovered 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Step 5 of 10
After 1 hour, stir in the milk. Continue simmering. The milk fat blends in as the sauce reduces.
Step 6 of 10
Meanwhile make the besciamella: melt butter, whisk in flour, cook 60 seconds. Whisk in milk a ladle at a time. Simmer 8 minutes, stirring constantly, until coating-thick. Season with nutmeg, salt, white pepper.
Step 7 of 10
When the ragù is done, taste. Adjust salt and pepper.
Step 8 of 10
Heat oven to 180°C / 350°F. Butter a 30 × 20 cm baking dish.
Step 9 of 10
Layer in this order, repeating six times: ragù → pasta sheet → besciamella → parmigiano. End with a top layer of besciamella and a generous parmigiano dusting.
Step 10 of 10
Bake 45 minutes until the top is bubbling and deeply golden. Rest 20 minutes before cutting — lasagne sliced hot collapses into puddles.
Ingredients 14
the pasta
- 400 g fresh green (spinach) lasagne sheets
the ragù
- 400 g ground beef chuck (15% fat)
- 200 g ground pork shoulder
- 100 g pancetta, finely diced
- Equal parts finely diced carrot, celery, yellow onion — about 200 g total
- 3 tbsp tomato paste (concentrato di pomodoro)
- 400 ml tomato passata
- 200 ml dry white wine
- 300 ml whole milk
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
the besciamella
- 1 L whole milk (for besciamella)
- 80 g butter + 60 g flour (for besciamella)
- Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
the layers
- 150 g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated