Lasagna Bolognese has flavor unlike any I have ever tasted. Unlike the lasagna I grew up with and most I have ever tasted, it’s not tomato based. It was a family favorite of Anthony Bourdain and a regular on his home menu rotation. This recipe served as the instruction manual for my first lasagna, so that in itself was a learning experience.
Noodles
Who knew, besides every experienced cook, that you don’t have to cook the noodles in advance for lasagna? It was a revelation to me because they absorb plenty of moisture while baking. These noodles turned out perfectly, with an al dente bite to them.
Bolognese Sauce
I also learned how to make a bolognese sauce and I learned what made this one stand out. Most bolognese call for ground chuck, but this one uses a triumvirate of chuck, pork and veal, like the best meatloaf. A mystery meat is also included. The resulting flavor is unlike any other, because of the minerality and earthiness. You can’t quite put your finger on it until you learn the mystery ingredient is chicken liver.
Bechamel Sauce
Bechamel is one of the five traditional French “mother sauces”, and the easiest to make. It’s a stroke of genius to substitute this for the usual cheeses because it lends a creamier, more subtle flavor profile to the lasagna.
Traditional or Lasagna Bolognese?
Traditional lasagna is made with beef, noodles and cheeses with heavy influence of tomato sauce. This version de-emphasizes the tomato sauce, adds the liver and bechamel to achieve something very different. I plan to enjoy both in the years to come.
Ready to make Lasagna Bolognese?
Make the bechamel sauce and set aside
Heat 2 TBL olive oil in a large heavy bottom pot on medium heat, add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Cook while stirring with a spatula until everything is tender and has released their juices, about 8-9 minutes. Stir in the livers and cook on high heat for 2 minutes, then add the beef, veal and pork.
Stir and break up the meats on medium heat until all the meat is browned, scraping the bottom to prevent scorching. Add the tomato paste, stir and cook about 20 minutes. Add the wine, bring to a low boil and reduce by half, then drop in the bay leaves, add the milk and reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, scraping fat or foam off the top
Use water, chicken, or veal stock to thin if necessary. There needs to be enough liquid to allow for scraping the fat off the top per the last instruction, but it should not be soupy. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper while it simmers. Remove from heat, set aside to cool slightly and skim fat off the top with a ladle and discard.
Preheat your oven to 350 and coat the inside of a 9″ x 13″ baking dish with the remaining olive oil.
Build the lasagna beginning with a layer of bechamel, a sprinkle of shredded cheese, then a layer of noodles, and lightly cover with bolognese sauce. Repeat the process until the pan is full and bolognese is the last layer, then cover the bolognese with a layer of the thinly sliced mozzarella.
Place the baking dish on a baking sheet in the center of the oven and bake for about 50 minutes or until the mozarella is browning and the lasagna bubbling. Remove and rest for a minimum of 15-20 minutes before slicing, but it gets better resting overnight to give the flavors time to meld, reheating before serving. Print
Lasagna Bolognese
Just as Anthony Bourdain made it!
- Prep Time: 55
- Cook Time: 190
- Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 1x
- Method: Bake
Ingredients
- 3 TBL olive oil – divided
- 1 large onion – peeled and finely chopped
- 2 large carrots – finely chopped
- 3 ribs celery – finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves – peeled and minced
- 1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 3/4 lb ground chuck
- 1/2 lb chicken livers – trimmed of fat and connective tissues – finely chopped
- 3/4 lb ground veal
- 3/4 lb ground pork
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 1 cup dry, crisp white wine
- 1–1/2 cups whole milk
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cups bechamel sauce – get the recipe here
- 3/4 cup parmagiano-reggiano cheese – finely grated
- 1 lb dry flat lasagna noodles
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese – thinly sliced
Instructions
- Make the bechamel sauce and set aside
- Heat 2 TBL olive oil in a large heavy bottom pot on medium heat, add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic and thyme and season with salt and pepper
- Cook while stirring with a spatula until everything is tender and has released their juices, about 8-9 minutes
- Stir in the livers and cook on high heat for 2 minutes, then add the beef, veal and pork
- Stir and break up the meats on medium heat until all the meat is browned, stirring regularly and scraping the bottom to prevent scorching
- Add the tomato paste, stir and cook about 20 minutes
- Add the wine, bring to a low boil and reduce by half, then drop in the bay leaves, add the milk and reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, scraping fat or foam off the top
- Add water, chicken, or veal stock to thin if necessary. There needs to be enough liquid to allow for scraping the fat off the top per the last instruction, but it should not be soupy
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper while it simmers
- Remove from heat, set aside to cool slightly and skim fat off the top with a ladle and discard
- Preheat your oven to 350 and coat the inside of a 9″ x 13″ baking dish with the remaining olive oil
- Build the lasagna beginning with a layer of bechamel, a sprinkle of shredded cheese, then a layer of noodles, and lightly cover with bolognese sauce
- Repeat the process until the pan is full and bolognese is the last layer, then cover the bolognese with a layer of the thinly sliced mozzarella
- Place the baking dish on a baking sheet in the center of the oven and bake for about 50 minutes or until the mozarella is browning and the lasagna bubbling
- Remove and rest for a minimum of 15-20 minutes before slicing, but it gets better resting overnight to give the flavors time to meld, reheating before serving