Lasagne Verdi alla Bolognese

Thin sheets of green spinach pasta layered at least six times with slow-cooked ragù, a light béchamel, butter and plenty of Parmigiano Reggiano. No ricotta, no mozzarella.

Why it works the kitchen science

Step by step

1. Step 1

   Make the ragù. Warm the oil and pancetta in a heavy 10-inch Dutch oven over medium-low heat until the fat melts, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped onion, carrot and celery and cook gently, stirring, 10 minutes, until soft but not browned. Raise the heat to medium-high, add the beef and cook, stirring, about 10 minutes, until it is no longer pink and starts to sizzle (160°F).

2. Step 2

   Pour in the wine and cook 3 to 5 minutes, until you can no longer smell it. Stir in the tomato paste and passata, then 1 cup of the hot broth. Cover, turn the heat to the lowest setting and simmer 2 hours (up to 3), stirring now and then and adding broth a splash at a time when it looks dry. Halfway through, stir in the milk and let it absorb completely. Season with salt and pepper. It should be thick, creamy and a deep orange-brown.

3. Step 3

   While the ragù simmers, make the pasta. Mound the flour on a board, add the eggs and spinach to a well in the center and work them together, then knead 10 minutes, until smooth and evenly green. Wrap and rest 30 minutes. Roll it out by hand or machine to about 1/16 inch thick and cut into rectangles about 6 by 4 inches.

4. Step 4

   Make the béchamel. Heat the milk until steaming, about 5 minutes. In another saucepan melt 7 tbsp butter over medium heat, whisk in the flour and cook 2 minutes. Whisk in the hot milk a little at a time, then simmer, whisking, 5 to 8 minutes, until it coats a spoon. Season with salt and nutmeg.

5. Step 5

   Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the sheets a few at a time just until they float, about 1 minute, move them to a bowl of cold water, then lay them flat on clean cotton towels to dry.

6. Step 6

   Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9 by 13-inch or 10 by 14-inch dish at least 2 1/2 inches deep and spread a few spoonfuls each of ragù and béchamel on the bottom. Layer: pasta, a thin coat of béchamel, plenty of ragù, small dots of butter and a generous shower of Parmigiano. Prick each pasta layer 3 or 4 times with a toothpick to let out air. Repeat for at least six layers.

7. Step 7

   Finish with a sheet of pasta topped with the last ragù stirred into the last béchamel, dots of butter, the rest of the Parmigiano and a piece of butter in each corner. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until bubbling at the edges and golden on top, with the center at 165°F. Rest at least 5 minutes (15 minutes gives cleaner slices), then serve.

Tips

• Short on time? Use store-bought fresh spinach lasagna sheets and boil them the same way. The ragù is the part not to rush.
• The ragù tastes better the next day and keeps 3 days in the fridge, so make it ahead.
• Chop the vegetables by hand; the Accademia's recipe specifically says not to use a food processor.
• This is a rich, Accademia-size portion. Cut it into 12 pieces for a lighter serving (about two thirds of the calories below).

The rules people argue about

What the sources agree on, what they don't, and what is just a good story.

• Green pasta made with spinach. Documented (Accademia recipe via Bologna Welcome).
• At least six layers. Documented (same source).
• Béchamel, not ricotta or mozzarella. Documented: the registered recipe uses only ragù, béchamel, butter and Parmigiano (same source).
• No garlic, herbs, veal or smoked pancetta in the ragù. Documented: the 2023 deposit lists these as "variants not allowed", along with pork alone, brandy and flour. Allowed variants include a 60/40 beef-and-pork mix, hand-cut meat, rolled pancetta and a hint of nutmeg (Chamber of Commerce release, 2023).
• Milk in the ragù. Disputed: the 2023 Accademia recipe adds wine first and makes milk optional, stirred in halfway. Marcella Hazan's widely reprinted Bolognese simmers the meat in milk before the wine (David Leite's adaptation:). We could not check Hazan's book text directly.
• Red or white wine. Documented: the 2023 recipe accepts either.
• Rest time. Folklore that it must rest 30 minutes or more: the Accademia's own text says 5 minutes.