Lasagne Bolognese

For the sauce, heat the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and ham and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes. Add the ground meats and cook, stirring constantly over high heat until well browned, about 20 minutes. Add the onions, carrots, celery and mushrooms and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cloves and nutmeg and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook until almost evaporated. Add the wine and stock and simmer over medium- high heat until sauce is thickened, about 45 minutes to one hour. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the chicken livers to the pot and cook 5 minutes. Stir in the cream and parsley, and adjust seasoning if necessary. Set aside until ready to assemble the lasagna.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

BECHAMEL:

In a saucepan, melt the butter over low het and stir in the flour, stirring constantly until smooth, about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk, stirring vigorously to blend. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil for 1 minutes, stirring. Allow to cook for another 5 minutes, or until floury taste is gone. Remove from the heat and add the salt and nutmeg.

Butter a large rectangular baking dish, then spoon 1/2 cup of the meat sauce onto the bottom of the dish. Cover with one sheet of fresh pasta. Top the lasagna with a layer of meat sauce (making certain that pasta is completely covered), a layer of béchamel sauce, then a light dusting of cheese. Repeat layering lasagna, sauces and cheese in this manner until all have been used, ending with a topping of béchamel sauce and cheese.

Bake until the lasagna is bubbling and golden brown, about 1 hour. Allow to rest 10 minutes before serving.

Yield : 6-8 servings