Baked Lasagna – Pasticcio
The Italian name for this would actually be “Lasagne alla Bolognese” but in my region of Italy almost everyone calls it Pasticcio. Most people have tomato sauce in mind when they think of lasagna, however this recipe is based on Ragù alla bolognese and Béchamel sauce. This is a classic of the Northern Italian cuisine that privileges butter and cheese instead the Mediterranean diet that uses more tomato sauce and prepares a baked lasagna similar to the one you usually make in the States. The pasta is made with eggs and you can use either fresh or dry pasta. You usually have to boil it first but now it’s easy to find pasta sheets that can be placed directly in the baking pan without being briefly boiled.
This is the dish that we often prepare on Christmas day. When we were little, my sister and I used to help my mom to assemble the “pasticcio” and since then we have never stopped preparing it together. If you have children that like to take part in the kitchen this is a good recipe to prepare with them.
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.
Notes:
If you want you can prepare pasticcio the day before just cover with film wrap and put it in the fridge. The next day all you have to do is bake it!
*The pasta should be thin and perfectly flat, about 3-1/2 x 7 inches. Don’t use the durum wheat lasagna noodles, the long thick ones with the ruffled edge.
Patty, my family started cooking this dish about 6 years ago. My husband was stationed in Aviano, Italy about 20 years ago. He really wanted to find some real Italian food. He loves this receipe along with others of yours. We make this on days we are off and on weekends in the fall and winter. It is such a comforting dish. Thanks for all your receipes! You are wonderful! Do you have a cookbook with all this yumminess? If not you need one!
Dear Kim,
You’re really kind. I’m so happy you like the baked lasagna, it’s a comforting dish indeed.
No I don’t have a cookbook now but, you never know in the future ;-).
I am so happy that I found your website, it is the best in Italian cooking, I am a full blooded italian, can speak some but not enough as I would like, when you have your first cookbook published, I will be in line to purchase one, god bless you. and your cooking