When it comes to comfort food Lasagna Bolognese is at the top of my list. And making a delicious restaurant-style Lasagna Bolognese is easier than you think.
Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat, add the chopped vegetables and let them begin to caramelize (about 4-5 minutes). Add the chopped garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes
Remove the cooked vegetables (soffritto) from the pot and save until needed.
Add the olive oil and ground beef to the pan. Season with sea salt and black pepper and cook for 4-5 minutes until it browns. When the ground beef is fully cooked break it up with a wire whip or spoon.
Add the red wine to the hot pan. It will deglaze the pan, releasing all the browned bits stuck to the bottom. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a large spoon to help get all the stuck bits loose.
Return the reserved soffritto to the pot, mix well and allow to cook over low heat for 5 minutes.
Add the crushed tomatoes, milk, basil and parsley, mixing well. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes.
Stir in heavy cream and Romano cheese, mix well to incorporate the cream and cheese into the sauce.
Re-season with sea salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper to taste and simmer for 5 minutes.
*Feel free to add additional seasonings if you like your sauce spicier. I added an additional one teaspoon of garlic and onion powders to the sauce.
Tomato Sauce
In a small pot over medium-high heat, saute the onion and garlic in a tablespoon of olive oil for 2 minutes until fragrant.
Add crushed tomatoes to the pot. Season with sea salt and black pepper
Simmer for 30 minutes over low heat. Add chopped basil and reseason if necessary.
Ricotta Filling
Place the ricotta cheese in a large mixing bowl
Add the eggs, cheese and seasonings and mix until fully blended.
Lasagna
Add a layer of the bolognese sauce to the bottom of your baking dish.
Add a thin layer of tomato sauce to the bottom of your casserole dish
Add the first layer of noodles, followed by another layer of tomato sauce.
Add the first layer of the ricotta mixture on top of the noodles, adding a light layer of tomato sauce on top of the ricotta.
Add the next layer of noodles
Add the bolognese layer on top of the noodles
Add the next layer of lasagna noodles, followed with a light layer of tomato suace.
Add the final layer of the ricotta mixture. Top the ricotta mixture with the last layer of lasagna noodles.
Finish the lasagna by adding the shredded mozzarella, grated Romano cheese and a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley
Cover with non-stick foil or spray the food side of regular foil to make sure it doesn’t stick to the cheese.
Bake at 375 degrees for 60 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake for 7-10 more minutes.
Allow Lasagna to rest for 7-10 minutes before cutting, to let it firm up.
Serve with a salad and enjoy!
Notes
**If using dry lasagna noodles, don’t cook them first. You will need to let the lasagna sit for 12-24 hours before baking if you use dry uncooked noodles but it will come out perfectly!