This traditional Italian dish, lasagna al forno, goes well – when dressed with meat sauce – with Amarone della Valpolicella 2015 Ca’ Pigneto.
Ingredients for 6-8 people
Bolognese ragout: 600 g minced meat (half beef, half pork); 1 carrot; 1 stalk of celery; 1 onion; 1 clove of garlic (optional); 600 ml tomato puree; 200 ml red wine (Amarone itself enhances the flavors); 3 tablespoons tomato paste; 250 ml meat stock; 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 30 g butter; Salt and pepper to taste; Nutmeg to taste; 1 bay leaf (optional).
For the béchamel sauce: 1 liter whole milk; 100 g butter; 100 g flour 00; Salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste; 20 g grated Parmesan cheese.
To assemble the lasagna: 250 g fresh lasagna; 200 g grated Parmesan cheese.
Directions:
The ragout
Finely chop carrot, onion and celery and sauté them in a saucepan with oil and butter.
Add ground meat and brown it over medium-high heat until golden brown.
Splash it with red wine and let the alcohol evaporate.
Combine the tomato paste, passata and broth.
Adjust salt, pepper and nutmeg, add bay leaf and cook over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
The béchamel
Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and stir to make a roux golden color.
Pour in the hot milk at a trickle, stirring continuously with a whisk to avoid lumps.
Cook until creamy and thick, then add salt, pepper, nutmeg and Parmesan cheese.
Lasagna
Grease a baking dish and spread a thin layer of béchamel sauce.
Lay down a layer of lasagna sheet, then cover with meat sauce, béchamel sauce and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.
Repeat until all ingredients are used up, finishing with plenty of Parmesan cheese on top.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) (static) or 160°C (ventilated).
Bake for 40 minutes until the surface is golden and crispy.
Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Wine pairing:
Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2015 Ca’ Pigneto
Very intense ruby. Nose with notes of black cherry under spirits, warm and full, excellent roasted sensations. Enveloping palate. Black cherry is joined by cocoa, then very persistent balsamic notes. Overall soft with a characterful finish.
Production area: in Negrar, in the heart of Valpolicella Classica, with an imposing 360-degree view of the entire famous Valley, which has always been devoted to the cultivation of vines, at 350 meters above sea level.
Grape varieties: 80% Corvina, 20% Rondinella.
Production processes: The grapes are selected and placed in plateaus where they are dried for 3 months. During this period there is a concentration of sugar, extract, aromas and glycerin. Pressing is done in January, and the yield per hectare of grapes in wine is 24 hl. Fermentation is very slow and long. Maturation in the cellar lasts 30 in months Slavonian oak barrels. Bottle aging is for a minimum of 6 months.
Alcohol content: 16.5% vol.
Serving temperature: 18°C.
Recommended pairings:
Red meats and game: Braised beef in red wine (maybe just with Amarone), Beef tenderloin with porcini mushrooms, Venison in salmi, Roast lamb with herbs. Aged cheeses: Pecorino di fossa, Parmigiano Reggiano 36 months, spicy Gorgonzola, Monte Veronese Stravecchio. Structured dishes from the Italian tradition: Risotto with Amarone (a Valpolicella classic), Pappardelle with hare or wild boar ragout, Baked lasagna with meat sauce. Transgressive meal-ending pairing: 85% dark chocolate or more.
