Hi everyone!!! Remember when I said it’s really hot in California?.. well, it still is… And remember when I said that my oven is always on no matter how hot it’s outside?.. well, it’s on!!
Today I made one of my favorite dishes. I used to ask my Mom to make it for my birthday when I was still living at home. It’s an easy and delicious recipe.. the Traditional Italian Lasagna. Yes, it’s true that with pasta you can put any ingredient you want.. but the original Lasagna dish is very simple, the main ingredients are the so called “Ragu’ Sauce” {homemade meat sauce..not the, according to my taste, disgusting already made sauce in the jar} and the “Bechamelle Sauce”.
For
MY RAGU’ you need:
- half onion
- 1 stalk of celery
- 1 carrot
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 lb. of ground beef
- 1 large can of crushed tomatoes
- 1 splash of red wine
- salt
In a large pan, on medium heat, saute’ the onion, celery and carrot (previously minced) with a splash of Olive Oil. Add the meat and a little salt. When the meat turns brown add a splash of wine and let it cook for 2 minutes.
Add the whole can of crushed tomatoes, add another pinch of salt.
Let it cook on medium-low heat for at least 35 minutes.
BECHAMELLE SAUCE:
- 1/2 stick of BUTTER
- 3 spoon-full of FLOUR
- 2 1/2 cups of milk
- 1 pinch of SALT
- grated NUTMEG (if you have it)
Warm up the milk in the microwave. Melt the butter in a saucepan at medium heat. Add the 3 spoons of Flour, always stirring. Add the warm milk little by little {never stop stirring!} until it becomes smooth and creamy. Add a pinch of salt and a pinch of nutmeg.
The
Lasagna noodles I use are the NO BOIL
BARILLA ones. They are the best!!! Also when I was in Italy, I used to use them all the time. I never met anybody who uses the boil kind (the first time I saw them was when I came to America)..
Grease a lasagna pan with a little butter, alternate the ingredients: a little bechamelle at the bottom, noodles, meat sauce and bechamelle, noodles, meat sauce and bechamelle… the top layer needs to be only meat sauce. Grate a whole bunch of Parmigiano {parmesan cheese}.
Cook in the oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
ENJOY!!!!
xoxo,
