Béchamel Sauce For Lasagna Food

CLASSIC LASAGNA WITH BéCHAMEL

Steps:

• Heat olive oil & butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots & celery and sauté until the onion is translucent about 5 minutes.
• Next, add in the 2 teaspoons of salt & minced garlic and cook for 1-2 more minutes. Add the ground turkey (or meat of choice) and cook for 10 minutes, until browned, crumbling and stirring occasionally.
• Pour in red wine (optional), deglaze the bottom of the pot & allow to cook for 4-5 minutes. Add the can of crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, thyme & basil and stir to combine everything.
• Bring the sauce to a boil, cover, turn the heat down to medium-low & simmer for 45 minutes.
• Once the bolognese is done, cook lasagna noodles (if they need to be pre-boiled) according to package directions
• Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes until it turns a light golden color. Slowly pour in the milk while whisking.
• Bring the sauce to a simmer and whisk regularly until it thickens, about 10 minutes.
• Turn off the heat and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and nutmeg & then stir in parmesan cheese.
• Preheat the oven to 375° F. Using a 13x9 inch baking pan, spoon a thin layer (about 1/4-1/3 cup) of bolognese on the bottom of the pan.
• Add a layer of lasagna noodles. Spread a layer of the bolognese over the layer of noodles, then add a layer of béchamel (approximately 1/3 cup). Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese on top.
• Repeat the layers two to three more times until you run out of noodles. Layer the top layer of lasagna noodles with the last of the béchamel sauce, remaining parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese.
• Bake uncovered for 45 minutes until golden and cheese is slightly bubbling. Let rest for at least 30 minutes and enjoy!

CLASSIC ITALIAN LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Bechamel sauce:
• In a 2-quart pot, melt 5 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. When butter has completely melted, add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps from forming. Continue to simmer and whisk over medium heat until the sauce is thick, smooth and creamy, about 10 minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of wooden spoon. Remove from heat and add the nutmeg and tomato sauce. Stir until well combined and check for seasoning. Set aside and allow to cool completely.
• In a saute pan, heat extra-virgin olive oil. When almost smoking, add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Brown meat, breaking any large lumps, until it is no longer pink. Remove from heat and drain any excess fat. Set aside and allow to cool completely.
• In a medium sized bowl, thoroughly mix the ricotta and eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Into the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch baking dish, spread 1/3 of the bechamel sauce. Arrange the pasta sheets side by side, covering the bottom of the baking dish. Evenly spread a layer of all the ricotta mixture and then a layer of all the spinach. Arrange another layer of pasta sheets and spread all the ground beef on top. Sprinkle 1/2 the mozzarella cheese on top of the beef. Spread another 1/3 of the bechamel sauce. Arrange the final layer of pasta sheets and top with remaining bechamel, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into 1/4-inch cubes and top lasagna.
• Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place lasagna dish on top, cover and put on the middle rack of the oven and bake until top is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove cover and continue to bake for about 15 minutes.
• In a large casserole pot or Dutch over, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer uncovered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.
• Add 1/2 the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.
• If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.

LASAGNA WITH BECHAMEL

Steps:

• Meat Sauce: Brown ground meat until no longer pink. Drain off fat, if any, and add the white wine. Cook, stirring bits up from the bottom, until the wine has evaporated. Add spaghetti sauce, bring to a simmer, move to back burner, turn heat to lowest setting, cover.
• Bechamel Sauce: In large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk flour into butter and allow to cook for 2 minutes. Slowly add milk, continuing to whisk until the mixture is smooth and begins to thicken. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg, reduce heat to lowest setting, cover.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring water to a boil and prepare dry noodles according to package directions. If using no-boil noodles, take boiling water off heat, add noodles, cover and let sit for 5 minutes before assembling lasagna. I left the no-boil noodles in the hot water during assembly, using tongs to grab, drain and layer noodles as I went.
• Assembly: Use 8x8, 7x11 or similar sized pan. Line bottom of pan with noodles, add about 1/2 cup of meat sauce, then layer about 1/2 cup of bechamel sauce on top. Repeat these layers until all the sauces are used up. Sprinkle the top layer of bechamel with parmesan cheese. Don't fret if there are leftover noodles.
• Bake 40 - 50 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.

BéCHAMEL SAUCE FOR LASAGNA

Steps:

• In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flout and cook over medium-low heat until the mixture is creamy and no longer smells floury.
• Whisk in the milk and the nutmeg, stirring well to combine. Raise heat to medium.
• Whisk constantly as the sauce returns to a boil and simmer until the sauce thickens sufficiently to coat the back of a spoon.
• Reduce the heat to low, and add the grated Parmesan. Stir until the cheese has melted and is incorporated into the sauce.
• Season to taste with salt - you may not need any if your Parmesan is very salty, so taste the sauce first before adding any salt.

BASIC BECHAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the flour until smooth. Continue stirring as the flour cooks to a light, golden, sandy color, about 7 minutes.
• Increase heat to medium-high and slowly whisk in milk until thickened by the roux. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and continue simmering until the flour has softened and not longer tastes gritty, 10 to 20 minutes, then season with salt and nutmeg.

OVEN-READY LASAGNA WITH MEAT SAUCE AND BECHAMEL

Steps:

• Pre heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• For the bechamel, bring the milk to a simmer in a saucepan. Meanwhile in a separate pan, melt butter; stir in flour and cook 2-3 minutes. Stir the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture. Whisk vigorously and bring to a simmer; cook for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and 3/4 of cheese.
• Pour 1/5 of the Barilla sauce and 1/5 of the bechamel into the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish; top with basil. Cover with three noodles and repeat for 3 layers. For the top layer add the remaining Parmigiano cheese and basil. Cover with foil.
• Bake until the corners are bubbling and slightly brown, about 20 minutes. Let the lasagna rest for 5 minutes before serving.

BEST LASAGNA WITH RICOTTA BECHAMEL

Steps:

• Prepare meat sauce: Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add ground sirloin and sausage; cook and stir until browned and crumbly, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Add olive oil to the Dutch oven. Add onion and salt and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, red wine, tomato paste, sugar, black pepper, and crushed red pepper; stir until well combined. Stir in cooked meat and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in basil and parsley.
• While sauce is simmering prepare bechamel: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour, and cook, whisking constantly, for 3 minutes. Whisk in milk, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Remove from the heat and whisk in ricotta until smooth. Let stand 10 minutes.
• At the same time, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook 12 lasagna noodles in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
• Spoon 1/2 cup meat sauce into the bottom of the prepared dish. Place 4 noodles across sauce. Spoon 1/3 of remaining meat sauce over noodles. Add 1/2 of the bechamel sauce, then sprinkle with 1/3 of the mozzarella and 1/2 of the Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers once more. Top with remaining 4 noodles, remaining sauce, and remaining mozzarella cheese.
• Cover and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden and bubbly, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and let stand 15 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with additional fresh basil leaves.

VEGETABLE LASAGNA WITH A THICK BECHAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F In a medium bowl, mix cheese layer ingredients together well and set aside.
• VEGETABLES: In a large skillet, heat the onion and garlic over medium heat. Sauté until the onions are translucent. Add the zucchini and mushrooms. Saute until the water has evaporated from the zucchini. Add sliced tomatoes, tomato paste and seasonings. Cook to reduce and thicken. Set aside.
• BECHAMEL: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour slowly until the roux, whisk or stir for about 1-2 minutes.
• Add the milk slowly while whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes until the béchamel comes to a medium thickness (soft paste texture) Remove from heat and rest 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, to cool slightly. While whisking, slowly add the eggs a little at a time until incorporated well.
• ASSEMBLY: To a 9x13 pan, Spread a thin layer of Bechamel sauce into the bottom of the lasagna pan. Place a layer of cooked lasagna sheets, cut to fit into the pan if necessary. Add a thin layer of cheese mixture, then some spinach, followed with a vegetable layer. Repeat.
• Continue layering in this manner until ingredients are used up. Pour the remaining Bechamel sauce over top. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before slicing.