Bolognese Lasagna Rolls (Rosette)

• servings: 8 servings
• active time: 1 hour
• total time: 6 hours

Ingredients

For the Bolognese :

One 1/4-ounce (7g) packet unflavored gelatin (about 1 1/2 teaspoons)

1 cup (240ml) homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock

1 tablespoon (15g) unsalted butter

1 large carrot (about 6 ounces; 188g), peeled and finely minced (see notes)

1-2 celery ribs (about 4 ounces; 120g); finely minced (see notes)

1 medium yellow onion (about 8 ounces; 240g), finely minced (see notes)

2 pounds (900g) ground meat, either all beef or 1 pound beef with 1/2 pound each ground pork and veal, divided (see notes)

2 tablespoons (30ml) tomato paste

1 cup (240ml) dry red wine

1 bay leaf

Pinch freshly grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon fish sauce (optional)

Kosher salt

1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream

For the Besciamella:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3 ounces; 80g)

6 tablespoons (48g) all-purpose flour

4 cup (960ml) whole milk

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pinch freshly grated nutmeg (optional)

For the Tomato Sauce:

2 tablespoons (30ml) extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium clove garlic, lightly smashed

1 large sprig fresh basil

One 28-ounce (794g) can whole peeled tomatoes in the juices, blended, or one 24-ounce (700g) bottle tomato passata

Kosher salt

For the Assembly:

2 pounds (900g) store-bought fresh lasagna noodles or fresh homemade (Follow the recipe and instructions here through step 10, doubling the quantity to yield 2 pounds total), cut into 6- by 12-inch-long rectangles

Vegetable oil, for greasing pan and pasta

8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (4 ounces; 112g), divided

Directions

For the Bolognese: In a 1-cup liquid measuring cup, sprinkle stock with gelatin; set aside.

In a large Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat until foaming. Add carrots, celery, and onions and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 6 minutes. Add half the ground meat and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up any large pieces as you go, until well browned, about 12 minutes. Add remaining meat and continue to cook until all meat is cooked through and broken into very small pieces, about 10 minutes.

Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in wine, scraping bottom of pot, and bring to a boil, then cook until raw alcohol smell has cooked off, about 5 minutes. Add bay leaf along with the reserved stock and bring to a simmer; lower heat to maintain a very gentle simmer. Stir in nutmeg and fish sauce (if using) and season with salt. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened and has almost no excess liquid remaining, about 2 hours.

Skim and discard any fat from surface along with bay leaf. Stir in cream and season with salt. Set aside while pasta and besciamella are prepared.

Meanwhile, for the Besciamella : In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add flour and whisk to form a paste. Continue to cook, stirring, until raw flour scent is gone, about 1 minute. Whisking constantly, add milk in a thin, steady stream until fully combined. Sauce will initially become very thick, then get very thin once all the milk is added.

Heat, stirring constantly, until sauce comes to a simmer and begins to thicken slightly. Reduce heat to low and cook until sauce is just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk in nutmeg. If any lumps form, simply whisk thoroughly or use a hand blender. Add 1/2 cup of the besciamella to the reserved bolognese. Press a piece of plastic wrap over surface of the remaining sauce to prevent a skin from forming and keep warm until ready to use.

To Assemble: Prepare an ice bath. In a pot of salted boiling water and working in batches, cook pasta until just shy of al dente, about 1 minute for fresh pasta. Using a spider or mesh strainer, transfer immediately to ice bath to cool. Drain pasta well, then brush each sheet, one at a time, lightly on both sides with vegetable oil to prevent sticking. Lay them out on a parchment-lined baking sheet, with layers of plastic wrap between the layers of pasta to prevent sticking.

To Make the Rosette: On clean work surface lay one pasta sheet with a short side facing you. Spread 1/4 cup of the besciamella in a thin layer evenly on top of pasta sheet, then sprinkle with grated Parmigiano and pieces of mozzarella. Place a second sheet of pasta on top. Spread about 3/4 cup of the bolognese on top, leaving a 1-inch border at the top short edge farthest from you. Smear about a teaspoon of the besciamella on the border, Starting at the bottom, roll up the layered pasta like a jelly roll. Transfer to a sheet pan seam-side down.

Repeat the process with the remaining pasta sheets, cheese, and sauces to make a total of 6 rolls. Refrigerate the rolls until chilled, at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours.

To Make the Tomato Sauce: In a small saucepan, heat olive oil with garlic clove over medium heat until garlic begins to sizzle. Reduce heat to medium low and continue to cook until garlic is just beginning to turn golden, about 4 minutes. Remove garlic clove and discard. Add blended canned tomatoes (or passata) along with the basil and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, stirring often, until thickened and no longer watery (this may take almost no time at all for some passata products, or up to 20 minutes for waterier canned tomatoes). Remove from heat and season with salt. Set aside.

To Assemble and Bake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 3-quart oval or 9- by 13-inch baking dish with oil. Gently slice each roll in thirds crosswise to make 18 pinwheels.

Spoon a thin, even layer of passata on the bottom of baking dish. Arrange lasagne rolls cut side up, then sprinkle a generous amount of cheese on top. Bake, rotating baking sheet halfway through, until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.

Add remaining besciamella to a piping bag and pipe small dots in a decorative pattern; alternatively, dollop warmed besciamella on top with a spoon. Sprinkle with more cheese and serve.

Nutrition

• Calories: 1085 kcal
• Total Fat: 55 g
• Saturated Fat: 24 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
• Cholesterol: 178 mg
• Sodium: 782 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 82 g
• Dietary Fiber: 6 g
• Total Sugars: 13 g
• Protein: 57 g