Lasagna with Sausage Ragù

Lasagna with Sausage Ragù

Photograph by Jim Franco

SERVES 6 to 8
TIME About 3 1/4 hours

Ingredients
About 7 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 cup each onion, carrots, and celery, cut into 1/4-in. dice 1 lb. bulk sweet Italian sausage
About 1 1/2 tsp. salt
4 cups whole milk
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 can (28 oz.) whole tomatoes, including juices, finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
12 oz. lasagna noodles
1 cup good-quality grated parmesan


Directions 1. In a large, heavy saucepan, melt 2 tbsp. butter in oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Add carrots and celery; cook until soft, 5 minutes longer. Add sausage and 1/2 tsp. salt, breaking up meat with a spoon; cook until no longer pink.

2. Add 1 cup milk and cook over medium heat, stirring, until completely absorbed, 10 to 12 minutes. (The milk will appear curdled.) Add wine and cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and simmer, uncovered, 2 hours. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. After ragù has cooked for 1 1/2 hours, melt remaining 5 tbsp. butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until light golden brown, about 5 minutes. Whisking constantly, add remaining 3 cups milk and bring to a simmer. Whisking occasionally, cook 10 minutes longer. Add remaining 1 tsp. salt, the nutmeg, and pepper to taste.

4. Preheat oven to 375&#deg;. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain and lay flat on dish towels. Butter the bottom of a 9- by 13-in. baking dish and coat with about 1/2 cup of ragù. Add a single layer of noodles. Spread on a third of the b#eacute;chamel; top b#eacute;chamel with a fourth of the remaining ragù, then a fourth of the parmesan. Repeat layering two more times, covering final layer with remaining ragù and parmesan.

5. Cover lasagna with buttered foil; bake 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Let sit 15 minutes before serving.

PER SERVING 721 Cal., 55% (396 Cal.) from fat; 28 g protein; 44 g fat (20 g sat.); 54 g carbo (2.7 g fiber); 1,617 mg sodium; 111 mg chol.

Serve with Jacob Franklin Charbono 2006 (Napa Valley)