Daring Bakers??

When I first read our March challenge I was a little taken back . . . lasagne? 'Wait a sec . . . I thought Daring Bakers was all about desserts . . . well I guess *technically* lasagne is baked so lasagne it is!' So after my initial surprise of the chosen recipe I was actually excited!! I get to make my own pasta!! Woohoo!! I've also been off a lot from work lately due to a lack of business so I was happy to spend a whole day making the lasagne. I did make it earlier in the month but works picked up a I wasn't able to get to posting until today. I did waiver from the recipe a bit because of cost and I forgot to buy certain things while at the store, but nothing to really make a huge difference. I'm going to post how I made it, but the original recipes can be found through the challenge hosts' links.

The March 2009 challenge is hosted by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge.

Spinach Egg Pasta (Pasta Verde)
(I only made 1/2 the recipe for a 4'x4'x2' glass dish)
2 jumbo eggs

10 ounces fresh spinach, rinsed dry, and finely chopped or

6 ounces frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry

14 ounces all purpose unbleached flour

Mound the flour in the center of your work surface and make a well in the middle. Add the eggs and spinach. Use a wooden spoon to beat together the eggs and spinach. Then gradually start incorporating shallow scrapings of flour from the sides of the well into the liquid. As you work more and more flour into the liquid, the well’s sides may collapse. Use a pastry scraper to keep the liquids from running off and to incorporate the last bits of flour into the dough. Put dough into a kitchen aid mixer and using the dough hook, allow to knead for 10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Do not shortcut this step. Remove from mixer, wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and let it relax at room temperature 30 minutes to 3 hours.

Stretching and Thinning - Divide dough into half and each half into 3 pieces. On a well floured surface using a wooden rolling pin, roll dough into a sheet the same size as pan. Make sure to rotate dough frequently to make sure it doesn't stick to surface. I would actually pick dough up and stretch it using the back of my hands like you would with strudel dough. You want the dough fairly thin so you can almost see through it. You can allow dough to dry draped over clean cloths or you can roll the dough as needed while assembling(like I did).

Country Style Ragu’ (Ragu alla Contadina)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, minced

1 medium stalk celery, minced

1 medium carrot, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1lb mild Italian sausage (made without fennel)

1lb lean ground beef

2/3 cup dry red wine

2 cups (16 ounces/500ml) milk

2 cans crushed tomatoes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a high sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetables and saute, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, 10 minutes, or until the onions barely begin to color. Add ground meats and stir into the pan, breaking up meat with a spoon, and slowly brown over medium heat. First the meats will give off a liquid and turn dull grey but, as the liquid evaporates, browning will begin. Stir often, scooping under the meats with the wooden spatula. Cook until the meats are a deep brown. In needed drain any fat from skillet. Turn them into the saucepan and set over medium heat.
Add the wine to the skillet, scraping any brown bits from bottom and stirring occasionally until the wine has reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Then pour the reduced wine into the saucepan and set the skillet aside. Add in the milk and adjust heat so the liquid bubbles very slowly. Partially cover the pot, and cook 1 hour. Stir frequently to check for sticking. Add the tomatoes. Cook uncovered, at a very slow bubble for another 45 minutes, or until the sauce resembles a thick, meaty stew. Season with salt and pepper.

Bechamel

(I only made 1/2 of this recipe)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 tablespoons all purpose unbleached flour

2 2/3 cups milk

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Freshly grated nutmeg to taste

Using a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over low to medium heat. Sift over the flour, whisk until smooth, and then stir (without stopping) for about 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk a little at a time and keep the mixture smooth. Bring to a slow simmer, and stir 3 to 4 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Season with salt, pepper, and a hint of nutmeg. Cover surface of bechamel with plastic wrap touching to prevent a skin from forming.

Assembling the Lasagne

Spread a thin layer of béchamel over the bottom of the baking dish. Place one sheet of pasta on top. Spread a thin layer of béchamel (about 3 or 4 spoonfuls) over the pasta, and then an equally thin layer of the ragu. Sprinkle with a small handful of the cheese (I used Monteray Jack because that's all I had in the house due to my poor shopping trip :p). Repeat the layers until all ingredients are used, finishing with béchamel sauce and topping with a generous dusting of cheese.

Baking and Serving the Lasagne

Cover the baking dish lightly with foil, taking care not to let it touch the top of the lasagne. Bake 40 minutes, or until almost heated through. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, or until hot in the center (test by inserting a knife – if it comes out very warm, the dish is ready). Take care not to brown the cheese topping. It should be melted, creamy looking and barely tinged with a little gold. Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar and let the lasagne rest for about 10 minutes. Then serve and enjoy!