EPIC Deep Dish Lasagna

I've always wanted my lasagna to look like this .  It took a long time for me to find a deep dish lasagna pan.  I ended up just ordering one from Amazon (4 inches deep), but I looked locally everywhere.  I also spent a long time deciding what ingredients to use.  If you've ever been to an Italian nonna's home and had their lasagna, there are no others that will ever match it...ever, just sayin'...

What's always been so fascinating about the nonna's lasagna I've tried is how many layers of pasta there are in it.  My Canadian style only ever fits 3 layers.  So, I believe, less is more - less filling, more noodles...My ex's mother jarred her own tomato sauce too and there was nothing like it - I've never had better since, but San Marzano would have to do for me today.  I love Béchamel  sauce, so it was for sure going to be a part of this meal and no ricotta, so stop here if that's what you want.  😉

The sauce I made two days before, on a Friday and I would be serving this on Sunday.  This recipe was a production!  Slow and steady wins the race...I wasn't trying to make an authentic Italian Ragu/Bolognese sauce, just my own take on a meaty, tasty rendition of one.  I added and deleted items daily in my recipe until I made it.  I figured I'd have 8 layers of noodles at least so wanted to make sure  I made enough sauce.  In the end, this would be the first time ever that I haven't put garlic into an Italian meat sauce, but I wanted to try it at least this once without, just to see...I also debated adding crushed red chili flakes over and over, but in the end decided not to:

• Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
• 1/2 lb of organic ground veal
• 1 lb of organic extra lean ground beef
• 1/2 lb of organic pork sausage
• 170 grams pancetta (below), diced

• 1 Vidalia onion, diced
• 2 fresh carrots with green tops removed, diced
• 2 stalks of celery, diced
• 28 oz can D.O.P. San Marzano tomatoes, squished by hand
• 2 cups "Better than Bouillon" low sodium beef stock
• 15 oz can of organic low sodium tomato sauce
• 156 ml can low sodium, organic tomato paste
• Few stalks of fresh oregano
• 1 bunch of fresh basil
• 2 bay leaves
• Handful of fresh Italian parsley, chopped finely
• Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

I put the onion, carrot and celery into a food processor until fine dice.

I put very little oil in an enamel coated cast iron dutch oven and then sauteed the cubed pancetta.  When almost crisp I added the veggies and cooked them until soft.  Below was the only shot I could get as the steam was too much to get a good picture.

I mixed in the tomato paste and blended it in until cooked out.  I added the meat next and stirred until cooked.  The tomatoes, sauce, stock, bay leaves, basil and oregano that I tied with twine went in next.

Then finally the S&P and parsley.

I brought to a boil, gave one more stir, then covered, lowering the heat to a very low simmer.  I let this go for two and a half hours and then removed the bay leaves and basil/oregano bunch.  I checked seasoning - it needed more S&P but I thought it tasted great - simple but perfect.  The quality ingredients did their job...

I let this cool, covered and then put it in the fridge overnight.  The next day I made the Béchamel sauce:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup unbleached flour
• 4 cups of 2% milk
• Fresh grated nutmeg, on microplane, to taste
• Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

In a sauce pan with a whisk, I melted the butter and mixed in the flour.  When combined and a bubbling paste I slowly added milk.  I continuously whisked until all milk was in and waited for it to boil.  I grated in some nutmeg and seasoned with S&P.  When thickened (and it was beautifully thick and smelled of nutmeg), I removed from heat, covered, and cooled.

This also went into the fridge over night. And then it was Sunday.  This would be noodle cooking, cheese grating, assembly day.  I bought fresh lasagna egg noodles and measured them out for the pan.  I just needed two sheets and a small strip to patch one gap in each layer.  I boiled the noodles quickly, 2 minutes - basically a blanch.  Then I drained and submerged them in ice water to stop further cooking.  I dried them and put them on an oiled baking sheet, but rubbing them with my hands which were coated in olive oil before I put the next layer on top.  I didn't know if they would stick so that is why I did that.  What I learned is that I didn't need the patch strip because after I cooked the noodles, 2 of them fit the pan perfectly.  Some noodles stuck together while cooking, but it worked out in the end regardless and I had enough good ones to complete all layers.   I don't know how many there were, I just went till all the cheese and Béchamel were gone...

In the meantime, I had the meat sauce and the Béchamel heating on very, very low heat so they would be hot but not cook again.  Then I went to cheese grating.  I did 2 cups of fresh Parmesan Reggiano.  I'm not sure how much Mozzarella I grated, but my guess is just over a pound?  I detest grating cheese and wish my absent sous chef son had been home instead of at work, he's a machine when it comes to grating.

And then I was ready to assemble!  Yay!  🎉  I preheated the oven to 350 °F.  I used cooking spray on the lasagna pan.  I started with  a layer of meat sauce on the bottom of the pan.  Then each layer went the same which I'll show below.  Noodles, then scant everything:  meat sauce and Béchamel below:

Parmesan and Mozzarella - then repeat.

Before baking, I covered in foil for the first 30 minutes.  I removed the foil (below) and put it back in for another 60 minutes.

I wanted to let it brown, cheese and all... When it came out, I let it rest for an hour.  I didn't care if I had to reheat it, but I wanted it set and not runny.

I had leftover sauce so I put that on the plate first, then the lasagna seated on top.  I chopped some fresh Italian parsley for garnish.  Below, my son only ate half that portion.  We were both giggling when I pulled it out - it was deeper than we thought.

This was pretty damn good...No, it wasn't "Nonna's", but I knew it wouldn't be, sigh...  It was not disappointing in any way, and it was light, considering what a heavy dish it was.  Flavors were simple but on point.  Cheesy, creamy and meaty is how I'd describe it.  Definitely simplicity at its best...