Lasagne Tradizionali

Ingredients

• 18 Sheets of Fresh Pasta
• 1 Quart Bechamel Sauce (see recipe below)
• 1 Gallon Festival Ragu Sauce
• 1 Pound Mozzarella Cheese, Grated
• 1/4 Cup finely grated Parmesan
• Fresh Oregano and Thyme, chopped about a quarter cup each
• Sprigs of fresh Thyme For Garnish

Onion Bechamel Sauce

• 1 Quart Whole Milk
• 1 Small Onion, Minced
• 1 Whole Bay Leaf (to be removed when the Roux is added)

A Big Pinch Nutmeg

• A Big Pinch Salt
• Several Turns of a Pepper Grinder
• 6 TBS Butter
• 6 TBS Flour
• 1 TBS Whole Milk, more as needed

Directions

1. Onion Bechamel Sauce (Make first)
2. In a large sauce pan, over medium high heat, bring the milk to a slow simmer, add the onion, bay leaf, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
3. Meanwhile, make your Roux, in a small saute pan, melt the butter over medium heat.
4. Add the flour and whisk until combined. This is a white sauce, so cook only until well combined. Do not brown the butter or roux. Whisk, whisk, whisk continually for 2 minutes.
5. Add the Roux to the gently simmering milk and whisk to combine.
6. Add additional milk a TBS at a time to thin as needed. For a lasagna, the sauce should be the consistency of soft serve yogurt after it has been left out room temperature for a few minutes... soft soft serve.
7. Use in many many dishes.

Lasagna

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. First, have all of the sauces ready.
3. The Ragu is best if it simmers in it's own juices for at least an hour or two.
4. The Bechamel is best made fresh right before it is to be used.
5. If you make it more than 5 minutes before use, cover the top with a sheet of plastic wrap to keep a skin from forming.
6. Have the pasta made, but wait to cook until right before assembly. You are going to bake this dish, so be sure to cook the pasta al Dente.
7. If you are using dry pasta cook for 2 minutes laess than what the package recommends.
8. If you are using fresh made, only 1-2 minutes (and NO MORE) in boiling salt water is fine.
9. And now, assemble your layers...
10. Little Ragu, single layer of Pasta, Little bechamel, Little Mozzarella, Little Parmesan and a little bit of spices
11. Repeat making 4-6 layers, ending with the Ragu. Top the final layer of Mozzarella in batches so the red shines through making a patchwork look.
12. Bake for 40 minutes until the cheese is slightly browning and the sauce is bubbly.
13. Allow to cool for 20 minutes or longer before cutting . Longer you wait the better the layers hold together when you serve.