Lasagna Bolognese Recipe

 The Blog Tech and I made two of these for the shelter yesterday.  I made it with bolognese sauce to make it hardier than a regular lasagna.  I won't be able to make this very often because it was rather expensive to make such large quantities of it.  These are restaurant sized containers and I made 2 of them.  They were so heavy I had trouble lifting them.

 I started by browning about 2 pounds of bacon and 1 pound of pancetta.  If you want to make this recipe you just need to cut the portions way back.

Drain the bacon and pancetta then pulse it in your food processor until it is in small crumbs.  This adds lots of flavor to your sauce.

Add some anchovies to the bacon grease....remember, you will never taste them in the end.  They just bring out the flavor in the meat.  They will dissolve as they cook.

 Add lots of diced onions. I used about 8 large ones for this recipe. You will use about 1 large one.

 Add lots of diced carrots, celery and green peppers.  I always add diced pepperoni to my bolognese for additional flavor.  Add some sweet and some hot Italian sausage.  I used about 12 pounds.  You can use about 2 pounds.  The hot sausage does not make this spicy but adds great depth of flavor.

 Rehydrate some dried mushrooms, dice them and add them and their liquid to the meat.  Add the bacon and pancetta now.

 Add some thyme, oregano and granulated garlic.

 Add some beef stock and beef bouillon, salt and pepper along with some crushed tomatoes and tomato paste.  Taste and adjust seasonings.

 Place this in a 250 degree oven for 3-4 hours depending on how much you make.

 I try to keep my lasagna noodles lined up side by side so they do not stick. The bubbles bubble up between the sheets and keep te noodles from sticking to each other.  Boil them for 9 minutes.  They will finish cooking when the lasagna is baking.

 Drain them and rinse with cold water.  Separate them and hang them over the edge of your colander so they will not stick together.

 Start layering your lasagna by first laying down rows of noodles. Add a layer of cheese on top of the noodles to form a sturdy base witch will hold each piece together when you cut it.  Add a layer of sauce on top of the first layer of cheese.

 Add another layer of noodles, a layer of cheese and more sauce.  I used mozzarella, provolone and fresh mozzarella.  I don't know where the photo disappeared to but I always add a layer of thinly sliced ham such as a good smoky Black Forest.  And a layer of fresh basil.  I also lost the pics of the ricotta mixer.  Mix a container of ricotta in a bowl with several eggs, some grated Parmesan cheese, some granulated garlic and S&P.  I added fresh diced parsley and oregano too.  Spread this between noodle layers.

 Finish off the layering with lots of sauce.

 Sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese.

 I baked these in a 300 degree oven for about 3 hours.  Mine were huge so yours should take less time.  Probably 1-1/2 hours.

 I made about 8 quarts of extra sauce to serve ladled over each serving.

I also made a new recipe for triple cheese bread which I will post tomorrow.  My house smelled so good when I returned from the shelter but all I had left were the fumes.  I hope the shelter guys enjoyed their treat!