Recipes
91-year-old Italian woman shares her traditional lasagna recipe
It comes directly from Italy and it tastes so good.
Savannah Hyatt
05.10.21

A hearty dish of lasagna is the perfect meal to keep the entire family full for hours.

This Italian family recipe is more than just food. Rather, it combines a fusion of family tradition and Italian culture all into one dish.

The final product is nothing short of scrumptious.

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Luckily for us, 91-year-old Italian chef and shop owner, Maria, lets us in on her special recipe.

After 70 years of perfecting this town favorite, we’re lucky enough to get the inside scoop on how we can make it ourselves.

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To bring this recipe into fruition, these are the necessary ingredients:

To make the pasta you will need:

10 eggs

1 kilogram of 00 flour

100 grams rinsed spinach leaves

To make the ragù sauce you will need:

2 garlic cloves

2 sage leaves

50 grams unsmoked diced pancetta

1 kilogram minced pork, loin preferred

1 liter meat stock, beef preferred

400 grams of tomato paste

salt

To make the béchamel you will need:

100 grams butter

100 grams flour

1 liter full-fat milk

1/2 nutmeg, grated

50 grams parmesan

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After collecting the ingredients, it’s time to get cooking!

Remove the stems from the spinach and rinse the leaves until clean. Thoroughly mix with the kilo of flour. After mixing, create a well in the mixture then add 10 cracked eggs and continue to mix.

Knead the dough to a smooth consistency, then let it sit for a minimum of 30 minutes.

After letting it sit, roll the dough while continuing to sprinkle it with flour.

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Now onto the sauce

Begin the pork ragù by frying 50g of pancetta then add 1kg of the minced pork loin. Be sure to add oil as needed, so the ingredients do not stick.

Chop the two cloves of garlic along with the two sage leaves.

Wrap in muslin then add in the meat. To avoid an overbearing flavor, this will be removed after cooking. Season and add in the meat stock, ensuring that the meat is fully covered. Next, add in the can of tomato paste, and let simmer for one hour.

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While letting the ragù simmer, begin the béchamel sauce.

Warm 1L of full-fat milk. While the milk is warming, begin the roux. Use 100 grams of both butter and flour, then mix together and season well. While whisking, add nutmeg and gradually pour in the warmed milk to the roux.

At this point, it’s time to return to the dough.

Cut the dough into squares the size of your baking tray, then cook in salted boiling water for approximately two minutes. Spread flat and let cool.

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Along the bottom of your tray, spread the ragù then add one sheet of pasta on top. Add ragù again then cover with the béchamel sauce.

Next, add parmesan to your heart’s desire.

Continue this process until the tray is filled, aiming for 7 layers of pasta.

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Finish by adding another layer of béchamel and parmesan. Finally, add a bit of butter to the top, and cut the lasagna into four equal pieces.

Now, it’s time for the lasagna to bake. Place the tray in the oven on moderate heat for 20 minutes (350-375 degrees Fahrenheit).

The best part is that it only takes 20 minutes for the layered lasagna to bake, so don’t get too comfortable while your masterpiece is sitting in the oven.

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The final product is ready! Serve warm and enjoy! Buon appetito!

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