Traditional pasta

The lasagne verdi is a pasta dish typical of the Bologna's area. Every family has got its own recipe, and for each one their is the best.

The version below is that of the pharmacist from Minerbio, Anna Tugnoli Bertuzzi, collected by Maurizio Garuti for the book "Donne e ricette della prateria bolognese" (Women and recipes of the Bologna's plain, Artiere, Bologna, 2000).

Ingredients for pasta:
5 eggs
spinach just enough
500 grams wheat flour 00

Ingredients for the meat ragù:
400 g minced beef
400 g minced pork
250 g diced sweet bacon
100 g chopped onion
100 g chopped carrot
100 g a piece of celery
a glass of milk
tomatoes (from a can)
a teaspoon of tomato paste

50 g butter

oil, pepper, and (if you like it) nutmeg, stock cube, sage, rosemary

Ingredients for besciamella:

1000 g butter
150 g flour
2l milk
150 g Parmigiano cheese
salt, nutmeg

Preparation of the pasta:

Mix the wheat flour with the eggs (you can also utilize the mixer) and spinach as much as you need to make the colour of pasta to be green. The dough should be removed from the robot when it twists on itself, you work it a bit with your hands and you leave it  at least for half an hour under a bowl or in a plastic bag.

The dough must be rolled very thin and to do it you can also use the machine. The rolled pastry is left to dry and you blanch it in boiling and salted water. The sheets of cooked fresh pastry must be drained and spread on a cloth.

Preparation of meat ragù:

Celery, carrot and onion must be browned with a bit of oil and diced bacon. You add the meat and you leave it cooking for at least 3 hours over low heat scrambling often. From time to time you ad milk and, if you like, tomatoes. When cooking is completed you add tomato paste and butter. 

Preparation of besciamella:

The wheat flour must be blended with milk and butter adding the Parmigiano cheese.

Preparation of lasagne:

On the greased base of the pan you alternate a layer of boiled pastry, a layer of meat ragù and a layer of besciamella starting back with a layer of pasta and so on for 5-7- 10 or even 12 layers. Cook it in oven for 45-50 minutes at 180°.