Lasagne Verdi al Forno

4.6
(52)

A recipe from my home in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. This lasagne verde made with spinach pasta cannot be beaten. It's excellent if you want to impress some guests — or even yourself. It may be a bit time-consuming, but it's well worth the TLC you put into it.

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Prep Time:
1 hr
Cook Time:
1 hr 10 mins
Total Time:
2 hrs 10 mins
Servings:
8
Yield:
1 (9x13-inch) dish

Ingredients

Pasta:

  • 5 ounces spinach - rinsed, stemmed, and dried

  • cup semolina flour

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

Ragu:

  • 2 tablespoons butter

  • 1 carrot, diced

  • 1 stalk celery, diced

  • 1 onion, diced

  • 2 slices bacon, diced

  • 3 ½ ounces lean ground pork

  • 3 ½ ounces lean ground beef

  • 3 ½ ounces minced ham

  • 1 cup beef stock

  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste

  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano

  • salt and pepper to taste

  • 3 ½ ounces chicken livers, trimmed and chopped

Béchamel:

  • 2 tablespoons butter

  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 2 cups warm milk

  • 1 pinch salt

  • 1 pinch ground nutmeg

Cheese:

  • 1 pint ricotta cheese

  • 1 ⅔ cups grated Parmesan cheese

  • 3 tablespoons butter

Directions

  1. Make pasta: Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add spinach, cover, and steam until bright green, about 2 minutes. Squeeze spinach to remove excess moisture and process in a food processor to make a paste. Add semolina, eggs, and salt; process until smooth. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and stir in enough flour to make a smooth dough. Knead briefly, then cover with a dish towel and set aside.

  2. Make ragu: In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Cook and stir carrot, celery, onion, and bacon in hot butter until onion is translucent. Stir in pork, beef, and ham; cook and stir until crumbly and browned. Stir in beef stock, tomato paste, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

  3. While ragu is simmering, make béchamel: Combine butter and flour in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk to make a roux. Remove from heat, let rest for 1 minute, then whisk in warm milk. Return to heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened. Season with salt and nutmeg. Remove from heat.

  4. Cook pasta: Prepare an ice bath. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. On a floured surface, divide pasta dough into 3 portions. Roll each portion out to a thin sheet. Cook each pasta sheet in boiling water for 3 minutes; remove and dip in ice water; drain and dry on a clean cloth.

  5. Finish ragu: Stir chicken livers into simmering sauce. Cook for 1 minute, remove from heat, and set aside.

  6. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.

  7. Assemble lasagna: Place 1 pasta sheet in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Spread 1/3 of the ragu, 1/4 of the béchamel, 1/3 of the ricotta, and 1/4 of the Parmesan over pasta. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining béchamel and Parmesan; dot with butter.

  8. Bake in the preheated oven until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

552 Calories
33g Fat
31g Carbs
32g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 8
Calories 552
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 33g 42%
Saturated Fat 17g 87%
Cholesterol 187mg 62%
Sodium 1044mg 45%
Total Carbohydrate 31g 11%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 32g 64%
Vitamin C 9mg 9%
Calcium 506mg 39%
Iron 4mg 24%
Potassium 581mg 12%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.

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