Le lasagne baked as well as being good all year round, they represent a first exceptional for the new Year's Eve dinner. It is a dish traditional DOC of Italian cuisine. In the next paragraphs we will let you find out what are the ingredients and the procedure for a mouth-watering first course.
Baked lasagna: history and curiosities
Lasagna was known in Roman times with the term "Laganon", which indicated a thin sheet obtained from a dough based on baked wheat flour. The Roman gastronome, cook and writer Apicius even tells of one "Lagana" composed of thin sheets of pasta stuffed with meat and baked in the oven. During the medieval period they are mentioned in works by different authors, such as Cecco Angiolieri o Jacopone da Todi.
In the Renaissance period, on the other hand, egg pasta arrived in northern Italy: a recipe, contained in the 'Cookbook of the XNUMXth century', printed in 1869 which involved the alternation of layers of pasta with cheese. And it seems that the modern recipe derives from the union of this dish with Roman lasagna. The first recipe that also contains the ragù is Neapolitan and dates back to 1881. It is found in 'Prince of the cooks, or The real Neapolitan cuisine' by Francesco Palma. But not only. Lasagna is mentioned in other Neapolitan volumes. And how can we forget the nickname of Francesco II of Bourbon? The ruler was known as 'King Lasagna'. However, each region has its own variation of this delicious, unique and extraordinary dish.
Baked lasagna: ingredients
To make your dish you will need different ingredients, also because you also have to cook the meat sauce and bechamel. First you will need the egg lasagna (about 20). For the ragout you will need: 350 grams of ground beef; 350 grams of minced pork; 1 onion; 2 carrots; 1 stick of celery; red wine (1 glass); tomato puree (1 liter); oil; salt.
For the bechamel: whole milk (1 liter); flour (100 grams); butter (100 grams); a pinch of salt. Also, you will need some grated cheese and mozzarella cheese (or of the scamorza).
Baked lasagna. Procedure, step 1: the preparation of the ragù
As for the procedure, start preparing the ragù. First, take the celery and carrots. Wash and chop everything finely together with the onion. Then take a saucepan, pour in the oil and heat it up. Add the vegetables that you had previously chopped and fry for a few minutes without forgetting to mix. Then add the minced beef and pork and sauté for a few minutes over low heat. When the meat is dry, pour the red wine to deglaze. As soon as the wine has evaporated completely, you can add the tomato puree and dilute with water. Season with salt and cook for about 2 hours over very low heat. Leave the lid slightly raised.
Procedure, step 2: the preparation of the béchamel
To prepare the béchamel instead, you must first take the butter, cut it into small pieces and melt it in a saucepan over low heat. Then add the flour. Mix using a whisk, in order to avoid possible lumps. Add the milk and season with salt. When the mixture is thick and full-bodied, the béchamel is ready.
Procedure, step 3: assemble the ingredients and bake
Now you just have to take the meat sauce and the béchamel and move on to the next step. Dirt a rectangular dish with the bechamel sauce. Then start placing the lasagna on the bottom of the pan, seasoned with béchamel, meat sauce and grated cheese. Continue until you have reached the surface of the pan. Finish with a layer of lasagna topped with meat sauce, grated cheese and a few slices of mozzarella (or provolone). Put in the oven and cook for about 30 minutes at 180 °. Take your lasagna out of the oven, serve and ...enjoy your meal!
