https://theitaliandish.blogspot.com/2009/03/daring-bakers-spinach-lasagna-with.html
serves 6
makes an 8×8 pan
For the Bolognese Sauce:
8 ounces ground pork
1 pound ground beef (chuck preferred)
1/2 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced celery
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup red wine
15 ounce can crushed tomatoes
3 cups beef broth
2 teaspoon dried oregano
For the Bechamel sauce:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk (whole preferred, but can be made with 1%)
1 chicken boullion cube (Knorr preferred)
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
For the Spinach Pasta:
5 ounces fresh spinach
2 to 2-1/2 cups flour
3 eggs
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Make the bolognese sauce:
- In a large heavy pot, brown the meats.
- Remove from the pot and set aside.
- If there is a lot of fat in the pot, drain but do not wipe clean.
- Add about a tablespoon of olive oil. Add all the vegetables (not the garlic) and saute these slowly for several minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for one minute.
- Add the wine and cook for a couple of minutes and then add the tomato sauce and put the meat back in the pot.
- Add the broth and cook, uncovered, for one hour until the sauce is greatly reduced.
- Check for salt and add to taste.
- Cook until the liquid is reduced down but not completely evaporated.
- At this point you can let cool and refrigerate until you are ready to use.
Make the bechamel sauce:
- In a heavy saucepan melt the butter.
- Add the flour and cook, stirring with a whisk, for a couple of minutes.
- Add the milk slowly, whisking, until all the milk is added.
- Add the boullion cube and the grated nutmeg.
- Whisk and cook over medium heat for several minutes, until slightly thickened.
- Remove from heat and pour into a heatproof bowl or Pyrex cup.
- Let cool.
Make the pasta:
- Steam the spinach until just wilted.
- Cool a little a squeeze all the liquid out.
- Chop finely.
Mound flour on work surface.
- Make a well in the center and break eggs into the well.
- Beat lightly with fork and add the spinach into the eggs.
- Mix with fork.
- Start incorporating the flour until all the flour is added.
- If still sticky, add more flour, little by little, until you have a dough that is not too dry and not too sticky.
- Knead by hand for 5 minutes.
- Wrap in well floured plastic wrap and set aside to rest at least for 30 minutes.
- Cut a section of dough and put through pasta maker rollers on widest setting.
- Fold in thirds, dust with more flour, and put through rollers again.
- Do this a few times and then adjust rollers to next number.
- Put pasta through the rollers, adding flour if you need to so it doesn’t stick.
- Adjust rollers to next number and run pasta through until you run the pasta through setting #5 (this is the thinnest I make these noodles).
- Lay pasta out on well floured surface and cut to length of your pan.
To cook the pasta
- Bring a large pot of well salted water to boil and prepare a large bowl filled with ice water.
- Cook the lasagna noodles, only 2 or 3 at a time for just a minute or so.
- Take out with a large spider and place the pasta in the ice bath for a couple of minutes.
- Remove the pasta and place on a clean towel.
- Repeat until all the pasta is cooked.
Assemble the lasagna:
- Place a thin layer of bechamel in your pan.
- Add a layer of pasta. Add layer of bechamel on the pasta and a layer of the bolognese sauce.
- Repeat until you have four layers of pasta.
- On the last layer of pasta, spread the last of the bechamel sauce and sprinkle some parmesan on top.
- Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Bon Appetit!!
