This lasagne was designed for a deep-dish baking pan. You can use a standard 9 × 13-inch baking pan, but you will have excess sauce; the sauce can be frozen and used over pasta another time. The lasagne can be assembled up to 1 day ahead and left to cool completely. Cover, unbaked, and refrigerate up to 1 day in advance, or freeze, unbaked, up to 3 weeks in advance. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator; bake as directed below.

　　

Ingredients

serves 10 to 12

　　Bolognese Sauce (recipe follows)

　　1 3-pound container ricotta cheese

　　3 large egg yolks

　　1 cup (about 3 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese

　　1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

　　1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

　　Pinch of cayenne pepper

　　2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

　　1 1-pound box uncooked lasagne noodles

　　1 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds

　　

Bolognese Sauce

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

　　3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

　　2 onions, cut into 1/4-inch dice

　　3 stalks celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice

　　3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice

　　2 pounds ground sirloin

　　2 pounds ground veal

　　1 quart whole milk

　　2 cups red wine

　　3 1/2 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought beef broth

　　1 cup tomato paste

　　1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

　　3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

　　(makes about 3 quarts)

　　

Step 1

Bring the sauce to room temperature. In a large bowl, whisk the ricotta, egg yolks, Parmesan, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, black pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper. Chill the filling until ready to assemble the lasagne.

　　

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter an 11 × 14 × 3-inch lasagne baking pan. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the olive oil and the remaining tablespoon salt. One at a time, add the lasagne noodles; cook until al dente, 2 to 3 minutes less than the manufacturer’s instructions. Remove the noodles with tongs; drain in a colander.

　　

Step 3

Spread about 3 cups sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Place a single layer of lasagne noodles over the sauce, overlapping them slightly. Spread about 2 cups sauce over the noodles and about half of the ricotta filling mixture over the sauce.

　　

Step 4

Top with a layer of lasagne noodles, again slightly overlapping them. Repeat with more sauce and the remaining ricotta filling mixture. Top with a final layer of lasagne noodles. Spread a layer of sauce over the noodles, and finish with a layer of sliced mozzarella rounds.

　　

Step 5

Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted, at least 1 hour. Cover with aluminum foil if the cheese starts to brown too early. Let the lasagne stand 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

　　

Bolognese Sauce

Step 6

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large cast-iron or enamel pot over medium heat.

　　

Step 7

Add the onions, and cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the celery and carrots, and cook until the vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the ground sirloin and veal, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is no longer pink. Add the milk, and cook at a gentle simmer, skimming fat from surface, until the liquid has reduced by half, about 50 minutes.

　　

Step 8

Add the wine, and simmer until liquid is reduced by half again, about 40 minutes.

　　

Step 9

Add the beef stock, tomato paste, salt, and pepper; simmer gently until the sauce thickens, 40 to 45 minutes. If using for lasagne, set aside to cool slightly before assembling.

　　Reprinted with permission from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics by Martha Stewart Living Magazine, copyright © 2007. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of The Crown Publishing Group.Buy the full book from Amazon.