Ultimate Lasagna with White Sauce

Ingredients:

1 lbs. dry egg pasta sheets for lasagna*
Ragù alla bolognese
freshly ground Parmesan cheese
unsalted butter

For the Béchamel sauce:
4 2/3 cups milk
2/3 cup unsalted butter
1 cup flour
pinch of nutmeg
salt to taste

Instructions:
1. Prepare the Ragù as described in my “Pasta with Ragù alla bolognese ” recipe.

2. When the Ragù is done or very close to done you can begin by preparing the Béchamel sauce.

3. Warm the milk.

4. Melt the butter in a pan then add and blend the flour for about 2- 3 minutes. Use a low heat.

5. Once the butter and flour are blended add the milk a little at a time. Mix continuously with a wooden spoon. Be certain to avoid lumping!

6. When you’ve mixed in all the milk grate a bit of nutmeg on top, just a dusting. Add a pinch of salt too.

7. Continue cooking the Béchamel, stirring constantly, until it thickens and becomes smooth.

8. Now it’s time to put it together. Start by preparing your favorite lasagna pan by greasing it with butter.

9. The pasta often suggests that it doesn’t need to be precooked however I’ve found much better results by
boiling it a couple of minutes first. Just slide the pasta into boiling water a few pieces at a time and remove them just as they soften up and start to get, ‘sticky.’ Lay them flat on a kitchen towels and they are ready.

10. First put a layer of pasta in the pan then add a layer of Béchamel, a layer of ragù and small fist of freshly ground Parmesan. Continue like this for a maximum of 5 layers.

11. Cover the last layer of pasta only with the Béchamel sauce, dots with butter to help keep it moist when baking, and a good sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

12. Put in a preheated oven at 400° and bake for 20-30 minutes until golden brown.