Lasagne Verdi
Main dish
Meat
Medium
90min
6-8 servings
ingredients
For the Pasta Verde
- 250 g “00” pasta flour
- 2 large eggs
- 100 g fresh spinach
- Pinch of salt
For the Ragù alla Bolognese
- Olive oil
- 80 g diced pancetta
- 1 small carrot, very finely diced
- 1 celery stalk, very finely diced
- 1 small onion, very finely diced
- 250 g coarsely ground beef (not lean)
- 150 g ground pork
- 100ml dry white wine
- 1 tbsp CIRIO Tomato puree
- 350g CIRIO Passata Rustica
- 50ml whole milk
- 100ml chichen stock
- Salt & black pepper to taste
For the Béchamel
- 1 litre whole milk
- 60 g butter
- 60 g flour
- A pinch of nutmeg
- Salt & Pepper
Preparation
A classic Slow Sunday dish from Bologna, made with fresh green spinach pasta, slow-cooked ragù, béchamel, and Parmigiano Reggiano
Step 1- Prepare the Ragù
- Sweat the pancetta in a heavy based pan
- Add onion, carrot, celery, cook gently until soft
- Add the Beef and Pork. Cook slowly until lightly browned
- Deglaze with the white wine and allow to evaporate fully
- Stir in the tomato paste and chopped tomatoes and bring back to a simmer
- Add milk and simmer until absorbed
- Simmer gently for 1.5-2 hours. Stir regularly and add a splash of stock if the sauce begins to catch on the bottom of the pan
- When ready the ragù should be thick and rich, not too saucy
- Adjust seasoning to taste and set aside to cool
Step 2: Make the Green Pasta
- Blanch spinach for 1–2 minutes then drain and allow to cool. Squeeze out as much excess moisture as possible.
- Place the spinach in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped
- Add the flour and eggs and pulse until all come together to form a rough dough
- Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead by hand until smooth
- Cover and chill for 30 minutes
Step 3: Make the Béchamel
- Melt the butter in a saucepan
- Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes
- whisk in the milk slowly
- Bring the mix back up to a simmer, whisk until silky and thickened.
- Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg
- When ready the mix should coat a spoon but remain pourable
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly
Step 4: Build the lasagne
- Butter a 27cm x 21cm baking dish
- Use a pasta maker to roll the sheets out on a well floured work surface. Divide the dough into two, so it’s more manageable
- Roll the dough out with a rolling pin to around 1" thickness before passing through the machine. Add extra flour if the dough gets sticky Aim for a thickness of 1-2 mm
- Add a thin layer of béchamel to the base of the dish then top with a sheet of pasta
- Spread a thin layer of Ragù over the pasta, follow with a ladleful of bechamel then top with grated parmesan
- Repeat these steps for 5-6 layers, Pasta - Ragu - Bechamel - Parmesan
- Finish with a layer of Béchamel and a generous grating of Parmigiano
- Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 35–40 minutes
- Allow to rest for 15–20 minutes before serving for clean slices
***To adjust for dried pasta :
Use 250–300 g dried lasagne sheets (regular or spinach)
Blanch the pasta sheets for 2–3 minutes in salted water.
Stir continuously so the sheets don't stick together.
Drain and refresh in cold water and allow to cool before assembling the lasagne.
To Finish : freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
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Medium 
60min 