Lasagna Al Forno

Total Time: 8 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 5 hrs Cook Time: 3 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons salted butter
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 3 celery ribs, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 lbs italian sausage
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 1 cup white
• 14 1/2 ounces canned plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 9 -10 sheets lasagna noodles, cooked al dente
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• salt and pepper
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 1 onion, halved
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup plain flour, mounded
• salt & freshly ground black pepper

Recipe

• 1 warm the oil and butter in a heavy based casserole dish on medium heat. add the onion and gently fry for about 5 minutes until softened and translucent.
• 2 add celery, carrots and garlic. cook for another couple of minutes, stirring to coat well.
• 3 stir in sausage with a large pinch of salt and several grindings of black pepper. cook, stirring until the meat has lost its pinkness.
• 4 add the bay leaves and milk. bring to a boil and then simmer gently for about 10 minutes until meat has absorbed the milk. season with a pinch of nutmeg.
• 5 pour in and let it simmer until it has evaporated.
• 6 add tomatoes with all of the juices and stir thoroughly.
• 7 cook uncovered at a lazy simmer with just an intermittent bubble breaking through the surface for about 3 hours. the fat will have separated but the sauce won’t be dry. taste and correct seasoning if needed.
• 8 about 45 minutes before meat is ready, prepare the béchamel sauce. pour milk into a saucepan with bay leaves, onion and a pinch of nutmeg. bring to just below boiling point., then remove from the heat and let infuse for 15-20 minutes.
• 9 preheat oven to 350 degrees f. grease a shallow baking dish.
• 10 melt the butter in a saucepan. stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for one minute.
• 11 strain the milk and gradually add it to the flour mixture to make a thick, smooth sauce. season to taste.
• 12 pour some béchamel into the boing dish, just enough to cover the base. place a layer of lasagna noodles on top. then a layer of meat sauce, then a handful of parmesan. repeat layers until both sauces are used up then finish with a large sprinkling of parmesan.
• 13 bake in the oven for about 30 minutes until bubbling all over and a knife slips easily through the layers of lasagna.