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Christmas Eve Lasagna

A rich béchamel sauce makes this dish even more comforting.

• Servings: 12
• Kitchen Tips:
• Choose a midprice mozzarella for cooking. Very inexpensive brands tend to be rubbery, but the finest buffalo mozzarella is best enjoyed in salads or on its own.
• Choose the right lasagna noodles. For this recipe, use dried lasagna noodles that don’t require precooking. Check the instructions on the package if you’re not sure.
• Make it ahead of time. Lasagna is a great make-ahead meal, as it can be frozen whole before baking (if the Bolognese sauce has not previously been frozen), or chilled up to 3 days. If frozen, defrost in the refrigerator for a day. Add an extra 10 minutes to the cooking time, covering with foil as soon as the topping is golden.
• Ingredients:
• 2½ cups milk
• 4 tbsp. butter
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 3½ oz. Parmesan cheese
• 1 whole nutmeg for grating (optional)
• 4 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese
• 8 cups store-bought Bolognese sauce
• 9 oz. lasagna noodles or lasagna verde (about 9 sheets; quantity will be determined by shape of dish and noodles)
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. To make bechamel sauce, add milk and butter to medium pan. Sift in flour, then place pan over medium heat. Stir with a whisk for about 5 minutes, until sauce comes to a boil and is thick and smooth. If you end up the lumps in your sauce, pass it through a fine-mesh sieve into another pan and whisk until thickened.

2. Grate Parmesan cheese and finely grate ¼ teaspoon of the nutmeg, if using. Stir two-thirds of cheese into sauce. Season sauce with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Tear mozzarella into pieces for later use.

Heat oven to 350°F. Assemble the lasagna in a 9"x13" baking dish. Start with layer of Bolognese sauce, then spoon a little cheese sauce over it. Add layer of lasagna noodles, snapping noodles to fit the dish if necessary. Repeat with layers of Bolognese sauce, then cheese sauce, then pasta, and so on, finishing with a layer of cheese sauce.

3. Cover with the remaining Parmesan and mozzarella. Bake for 40 minutes, until golden and bubbling. Check that pasta is cooked through in the middle by inserting a skewer or small sharp knife. If it goes through without resistance, it’s ready. If not, and the topping is already golden, cover with foil and return to the oven for 10 minutes. Let lasagna rest for 10 minutes before serving.