LASAGNA BOLOGNESE

Meat Sauce
2 pounds ground beef
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 cups finely chopped garlic
2 stalks chopped celery
2 cups chopped carrots
3 big tomatoes (freshly boiled, skinned, and chopped)
1 can big tomato sauce (or tomato paste)
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon sage
½ teaspoon chopped rosemary
3 tablespoons olive oil

Saute onions, garlic, celery, carrots on medium heat with the olive oil until cooked for about 3 to 5 minutes. Put in the food processor to blend for about 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside.

Add the ground beef on the pot where you sautéed the vegetables and cook until no longer pink. Add the salt, pepper, sage, and rosemary and cook for a few more minutes.

 Add the pureed vegetable Bolognese sauce and the fresh tomato that you boiled and chopped earlier. Cook on medium heat for another 3 to 5 minutes.

Cooked Lasagna Ribbons - one 8 ounces package

Cheese and Fresh Basil Leaves (topping after the Meat Sauce)
½ cup Ricotta Cheese
2 cups part-skimmed Mozzarella Cheese
¼ cup Parmeggiano Reggiano (use only for last topping on top)
¼ cup chopped basil leaves

Bechamel Sauce
½ cup butter unsalted butter
½ cup all-purpose flour 4 cups milk
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon nutmeg

Melt the butter on a sauce pan on medium-low heat.

Meantime, bring the 4 cups of milk into a boil. Add the salt, freshly ground pepper, and sage to the milk.

When butter is melted, add the flour and whisk quickly to mix until fully incorporated.

Add the milk slowly and quickly whisk together until blended with no lumps formed until you reach the consistency that you like. Set aside.

Layering your Lasagna
Layer your Lasagna on a rectangular baking pan 13 ¼” X 9 ¼” starting with the meat sauce as your first layer. Spread evenly. For the second layer, lay the ricotta, mozzarella, and the chopped basil.. The third layer is the Bechamel sauce. Again, layer evenly. Repeat the process. Last layer should be the meat sauce with the cheese toppings including the Parmegiano Reggiano.