Totally Guilty Lasagne!

There is absolutely nothing "diety" about this one. It's very, very close to the real Lasagne made in Bologna (where the dish was born), and I find this version as luxurious and decadent as the original, but a little easier and better on the eyes. In any case, I'll specify where the two recipes differ side by side. You pick.

You'll make 3 things: the Bolognese Sauce (il Ragu'); the white sauce (the Bechamelle Sauce); and you'll make the Pasta sheets (la sfoglia all'uovo).

Ingredients - for the Bolognese Sauce (il Ragu'):

• 2 full stalks of celery

• 1 medium-small carrot

• 1 big onion

• 5 medium-big cloves of garlic

• 2 slugs of olive oil

• 5 smoked rashers, or ideally the equivalent of pancetta

• 800 gr of high fat content (18%) beef mince, or ground beef

• 800 gr of high fat content pork mince, or ground pork

• 3 tins of tomato pulp (400 gr each)

• 1 Tbsp tomato puree' (optional, take care as it can give too much of a sweet taste)

• 2 tsp salt

• 3 tsp freshly ground black pepper

• 3 tsp grated nutmeg

• 3 fresh bay leaves

Ingredients - for the Pasta sheets:

• 150 gr plain flour (B = the original Bolognese Sauce: 300 gr plain flour

• 150 gr high protein (13-14%) content flour (B = none)

TIP: High protein content flour contains more gluten, which you need to obtain the perfect elasticity of the dough, so you can thin it out properly, and a great resistance to cooking, so that the sheets won't go mushy on you, or break.

• 3 eggs

• 1 tsp salt

Ingredients - for the Bechamelle Sauce:

See this link

Ingredients - top layer of the Guilty Lasagne:

• 40gr grated parmesan

Method - for the Bolognese Sauce (il Ragu'):

This is the first thing you'll be making, the day before you want to serve the Guilty Lasagne. Keep only to the listed ingredients above, but follow the method of this link

Method - for the Pasta sheets:

Second thing to make the day before:

• Mix both flour types

• Put 80% of the flour mix you are using as a mountain on the counter, dig a hole in the middle

• Add the eggs and the salt in the hole

• Start mixing with a fork (or just your fingers), then start working it with the ball and palm of your hands

• At this stage, add some or all of the flour you set aside if needed (you usually don't need itall)

• Work it very well until the dough is quite smooth - some 5-6 mins should be sufficient

• Form a ball with the dough, then wrap it tightly in cling film, and set it aside on the kitchen counter for a minimum of 30 mins so that the gluten develops

• Unwrap the ball and work it again for some 5-6 mins more until it's very elastic, add a little flour if it sticks (but it shouldn't)

• Wrap it again in cling film and let it rest for 2 hrs

• Now prepare your pasta machine (tirapasta) and cut a bit of the dough (make sure the rest remains wrapped up)

• Lightly dust the counter with some flour, then roll the piece with your rolling pin in a rectangular shape (it'll be more of an oblong), 1cm thick and corresponding to the width of your pasta machine, and not too long

TIP: I find that using the equivalent of 100gr of dough gives a manageable piece

• Fix your pasta machine to the table, then slowly feed the oblong through the thickest setting of the roller: number 1

• Then fold the resulting shape in three, gently press it with your hands, and feed it through the rollers at number 1 again

• Repeat for 3 times al together, always at number 1: this will give strength to your pasta

TIP: always slightly dust your sheet with flour (you can use the leftover in the bowl) over and under before feeding it through the rollers, but dust off the excess before you do so

• Now reduce the thickness of the rollers progressively: to number 2, then 3, then 4. Each time:

  • Slowly feed the oblong through the roller at number 2

  • Then fold the resulting shape in three, gently press it with your hands, and feed it through the rollers at number 2 again

  • Progress reducing the thickness to number 3, then 4, etc.

TIP: the machine goes to number 9, but, although there are no set rules for thickness, I find that number 6 or 7 is thin enough but still has a good substance (B = they keep it quite thick, at number 4-5)

• Once a sheet is ready, drape it gently over a clean teatowel dusted with a little flour

• When all sheets are done, bring to the boil a large, wide pan of salted boiling water, prepare a large pot with cold water and 2 tsp of olive oil (you can leave it in the sink), and set up enough kitchen counter space with clean teatowels (no flour here!) at the ready (or a large tray, and enough clean tea towels at the ready)

• Immerse one sheet at a time in boiling water and let it boil for 30 secs

• Using kitchen tongues, turn it over and continue boiling it for another 30 secs

• Drain the cooked sheet with a slotted fish slice (or grab it with the tongues and shake it, as it'll be still firm enough) and plunge it into the cold water

• While the sheet cools down, boil another sheet

• While the second sheet is boiling, remove the cooling sheet of pasta with your slotted fish slice or tongues, and drape it gently over the prepared clean teatowels

• Continue like this until all sheets are boiled, but check at times that your cold water pot has remained cold, otherwise add more cold water into it

TIP: Do not let the boiled sheet overlap on your tray, once covered it, just add another tea towel on top and do another layer, and so on, until everything is ready

TIP: Once the sheets are dry, you can store leave them with a tea towel on top to rest until the day after, when you'll assemble the Guilty Lasagne

Method - for the Bechamelle Sauce:

Follow this link

Method - to assemble the dish

Follow this link for "The Lasagne" section. Keep in mind that you can easily use scissors to cut your cooked pasta sheets to size while making the dish.