home

Authentic Neopolitan Lasagna

Ingredients
ragu
10 oz ground pork butt
1 large onion
3 cloves garlic
20-22 oz fresh tomatoes
4 oz white wine
4 oz water
hot pepper flakes, to taste
1/2 Tsp dried basil
olive oil
salt
black pepper
1/2 Tsp sugar, if needed
mornay
3 Tbl flour
4 Tbl butter
3 cups warm whole milk
2/3 cup Romano or Parmigiano
pinches of nutmeg
salt

pasta
8 oz lasagna noodles
Method
Quarter the onion. Peel and chop the garlic. Peel and chop the tomatoes. Whole, crushed or diced canned tomatoes (along with some of their juice) is an acceptable substitute for fresh tomatoes.

For the ragu: grind the pork butt in a food processor until it achieves a medium-coarse consistency. (It should take no more than 4-6 pulses.) Remove the pork. Finely chop the onion in the food processor. Remove them. Liquify the tomatoes in the processor. Heat a heavy sauce pan over a medium flame. Add olive oil. Add the onions. Salt the onions and sweat them down until they become translucent. Stir in garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add the pork and saute until all red is removed (no need to brown). Throw in the tomatoes, white wine, water and pepper flakes. Adjust the seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Bring the contents of the pan to a boil, then cut heat to a slow simmer for 2 hours. Throw the basil in, shut off the heat, cover and set aside.

For the mornay: melt the butter in a heavy sauce pan. Gradually, sprinkle in the flour and whisk over medium heat for a minute or two. Pour in the milk. Carefully, bring liquid to a boil. Simmer slowly until sauce reduces to a bubbly consistency. Stir in the cheese. Reduce until the sauce becomes thick. Finish off with a shot of nutmeg (1/8 Tsp), and adjust seasoning with salt. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Cook the lasagna noodles to 1 minute under al-dente.

For the construction of the dish: line the 4 sides of an 8 x 8 inch pyrex baking dish with 3 strands of the noodles. Spread about 1/4 of the ragu and mornay sauces evenly over the bottom surface of the dish. Layer 3 strands of the noodles over the ragu and mornay. Spread another dose of the ragu and mornay sauces over the pasta. Layer the last 3 or 4 strands of the noodles over the ragu and mornay. Pour the remainder of the ragu and mornay over the pasta. Top the lasagna with a generous heap of grated cheese and fold into the dish any mis-behaving pasta that is unattractively hanging over the edges of the pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Allow the dish to cool 15 minutes before slicing.