TRADITIONAL LASAGNE

Servings: 4
Ingredients:

2/3    Recipe Egg Pasta or use 2
-eggs and 1 1/3 cups flour
OR 1/2 Lb dry lasagne
-noodles
BOLOGNESE SAUCE
1    Onion
1/2    Carrot
1/2    Rib celery
1    Clove garlic
2 tb Butter
1/2 lb Lean pork, ground
1/3 c  Dry white wine
1/3 c  Heavy cream
1/8 ts Nutmeg, grated
6    Fresh Italian plum tomatoes
-(or 1 cup canned)
Salt
Pepper
BECHAMEL SAUCE
3 tb Butter
1/4 c  Flour
2 c  Milk
Salt
Pepper
3/4 c  Parmesan cheese, grated

PREPARATION: Make the Egg Pasta dough. Roll as thin as possible and cut
into 2-inch wide stripe or approximately 4-inch squares. Grate the
Parmesan cheese. For The Bolognese Sauce, dice the onion, carrot, and
celery. Mince the garlic. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat; add the
pork and cook until it just loses its pink color, about 3 minutes. Add
onion, carrot, and celery; cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic;
cook 1 minute. Add wine, stirring with wooden spoon to deglaze pan; simmer
until reduced by 1/2, about 15 minutes. Add heavy cream and nutmeg; simmer
until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and their juice,
breaking up with a wooden spoon. Cover and simmer over low heat, stirring
occasionally, for 2 hours. Season with salt and pepper. For The Bechamel
Sauce, melt butter on low heat in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook 1
minute. Gradually whisk in the milk and bring to a boil, stirring
constantly. Reduce heat; season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 20
minutes. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water until
tender, about 3 minutes for fresh pasta. Drain and refresh under cold
water. Pour a thin layer of Bolognese Sauce into bottom of baking dish.
Arrange a layer of pasta on top. Pour 1/3 of the Bolognese and then 1/3 of
the Bechamel over pasta. Sprinkle 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat for 2
more layers, ending with the Parmesan cheese. NOTE: Lasagne can be made
to this point a day ahead (OR can be frozen). COOKING AND SERVING: Heat
oven to 400F. Loosely cover lasagne with foil and bake until warmed
through, about 20 minutes. Remove foil and put lasagne under broiler until
golden brown, about 5 minutes. Let lasagne sit for 10 minutes before
serving.

Makes 4 servings.

[COOKS March-April 1988]

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