Luigi's Lasagna Al Forno
Submitted by 043808909
Classic Italian lasagna al forno with homemade tomato sauce, bechamel, ricotta, and mozzarella. A three-sauce layered lasagna with red wine in the tomato sauce and nutmeg in the bechamel.
YIELD
10 servingsPREP
45 minCOOK
2 hrsREADY
3 hrsThis is lasagna the way it’s done in Italy: three sauces layered between pasta sheets. A slow-simmered tomato sauce with red wine, a nutmeg-scented bechamel, and dollops of ricotta all work together in every bite. No ground meat, no shortcuts. Just patience and proper technique.
The tomato sauce simmers for 1 ½ hours with a soffritto of onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Red wine goes in during the last 20 minutes, adding acidity and depth that cook down into a concentrated, complex sauce. Mashing the plum tomatoes directly in the pot keeps the texture rustic.
The bechamel is the layer most people skip, and it’s the layer that makes the biggest difference. That creamy, nutmeg-laced white sauce between the tomato and ricotta prevents dryness and creates the silky richness that defines a proper al forno.
Sliced mozzarella on top melts into a golden, stretchy blanket during the final 30-minute bake.
Chef Tips
- Cook the bechamel roux for a full 2 minutes before adding milk. This cooks out the raw flour taste.
- Whisk the hot milk into the roux off the heat to prevent lumps, then return to low heat to thicken.
- Cook the lasagna noodles to al dente only. They soften more during baking and overcooked noodles turn to paste.
- Let the assembled lasagna rest 10-15 minutes before cutting. This lets the layers set and prevents a sloppy, sliding slice.
Variations
- Meat sauce: Brown ground beef or Italian sausage and add to the tomato sauce for a heartier Bolognese-style version.
- Vegetable lasagna: Layer in sautéed spinach, mushrooms, and zucchini between the sauces.
Ingredients
Directions
To make the sauce, sauté the onions, carrot, celery, and garlic in the olive oil until golden.
Add the tomatoes, mashing them in the pot as they are added.
Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat, uncovered, for 1 hour.
Add salt, pepper, sugar, and red pepper flakes; cook for another ½ hour, covered.
In the last 20 minutes of cooking, add the red wine.
To make the bechamel sauce, bring the milk to a simmer in a small saucepan.
Melt the butter in another saucepan and gradually whisk in the flour.
Cook for about 2 minutes, but do not let the mixture turn brown.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the hot milk, whisking constantly.
Return the saucepan to low heat and cook, whisking constantly, for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the sauce is medium thick.
Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Cook the lasagna noodles in salted boiling water, with a few drops of olive oil, until al dente. Drain.
In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish , spoon enough tomato sauce to just cover the bottom of the pan.
Cover with a layer of lasagna noodles, then some tomato sauce.
Spoon on a third of the ricotta cheese, then a third of the bechamel sauce.
Cover with a layer of pasta, then tomato sauce, a third of the ricotta and a third of the bechamel.
Repeat one more time.
Top with a layer of sliced mozzarella cheese.
Bake in a 375-degree F oven for about 30 minutes, or until piping hot.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle with optional Parmesan cheese before serving.
Makes 10 servings.
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