Bolognese lasagna

I'm too tired from making this lasagna to put together a proper post. Ha! I'm just kidding. But seriously, I had spent a whole day making this. At least it didn't take multiple days like my last lasagna creation. All in all, I would make this again even though it takes a day of labor. This recipe is a compilation of a few celebrity chef's recipes (dominantly bobby flay's) mixed with what I was able to get from the grocery store and a dash of my creativity.



un jour lasagna

sauce ingredients

1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 large spanish onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
1 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
1/2 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves 
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground turkey
1 pound ground lean beef
salt
freshly ground black pepper
3/4 pound bacon, finely diced
1 1/2 cups finely diced spanish onion
1/2 cup finely diced carrot
1/2 cup finely diced celery
4 whole garlic cloves
1 cup dry red wine
1-2 cups chicken stock
1/2 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
6 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
 ricotta mixture ingredients

3 cups ricotta, strained in a cheesecloth lined strainer for at least 4 hours
2 large eggs
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano
salt
freshly ground black pepper 
bechamel sauce ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 to 2 1/2 cups half and half, heated
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup grated romano cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano 
assembly ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
bechamel Sauce
1 pound lasagna noodles, cooked
ricotta mixture
grated parmigiano-reggiano
fresh basil leaves
bolognese Sauce
sauce directions

heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add the onions and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. add the garlic and red chili flakes and cook for 1 minute. add the diced tomatoes, bring to boil, season with salt and pepper and cook until the sauce is reduced and thickened, about 25 to 30 minutes. stir in the parsley and basil. set aside
in another pan, cook the bacon for 5-7 minutes, remove with slotted spoon. use the remaining oil to saute ground turkey and beef, cook until meat is done and remove from the pan.
add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic to the pan and cook until soft and lightly golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
add the red wine, scrape the bottom of the pan and cook until completely reduced. add 1 cup of the chicken stock, diced tomatoes and parsley and bring to a simmer. add the ground meats and 1/3 of the bacon  back to the pan, cook for 10 minutes, add more stock if it looks too dry. 
add in the tomato sauce and the rest of the bacon, cook until the liquid is slightly reduced. 
stir in parsley and basil and stir to combine.
ricotta mixture directions

stir together the ricotta, eggs, parsley, basil, cheese and salt and pepper in a bowl. cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow flavors to meld. 
bechamel sauce directions

melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. whisk in the flour and let cook for about 2 minutes. slowly whisk in 2 cups of the half-and-half and continue whisking until the sauce is thickened, about 5 to 7 minutes. season the sauce with nutmeg, salt and pepper and whisk in the cheeses. if the sauce is too thick, whisk in some of the remaining milk.
assembly directions

preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
butter the bottom and sides of a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with the butter. ladle a thin layer of bechamel evenly over the bottom of the pan. place a layer of pasta dough, cut to fit the inside of the pan on top of the bechamel and top the pasta with the ricotta mixture and spread evenly. spread a thin layer of bechamel over the ricotta, sprinkle with a few tablespoons of parmesan and some basil leaves. top with another layer of pasta and spread the meat mixture evenly over the top. ladle an even layer of bechamel over the bolognese mixture, sprinkle with a few tablespoons of parmesan and some basil leaves. place the final layer of pasta dough over the meat mixture and ladle the bechamel over the top to completely cover the pasta and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of parmesan.
place the pan on a baking sheet and cover loosely with aluminum foil. bake for 20 minutes. reduce the heat to 350 degrees F, remove the foil and continue baking until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, about 25 to 35 minutes longer. remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes before cutting. cut into slices and top with some of the tomato sauce, more grated cheese and chopped parsley and basil.