Happy Friday friends! I’ve found the perfect pairing for a delicious Sunday Supper – and I present to you my super delish Lasagna Bolognese and Lambrusco.
The Lasagna Bolognese takes a little bit of time to make and a bit of a labor of love, so make sure to set aside a few hours to make this lovely creation over the weekend or when you have some time and patience to make it… It’s totally worth the wait!
My secret ingredient to the bolognese is adding some Concerto Reggiano Lambrusco DOC 2017 (Medici Ermete) to the sauce and letting it cook down for a couple of hours to give a voluptuous flavor. Not only is it absolutely delicious in the sauce, but as a pairing to drink with the Lasagna Bolognese as well.
Concerto is a dry and flavorful red sparkling wine, made in the Emilia Romana region of Italy, and its lively bubbles are achieved through natural fermentation. Concerto is the world’s first single vineyard vintage Lambrusco, intensely brilliant and pure in both its ruby red color and aromatics, the wine shows a fresh strawberry, raspberry and cherry character.
On the palate, it is dry yet fruity, round, fresh and its lively notes are delectably harmonious. Acidity and tannins are perfectly balanced and the finish is clean. For food pairings, it is delicious with cured pork meats such as salami or mortadella or a variety of pasta dishes such as tortellini or lasagna.
Lasagna Bolognese + Lambrusco = perfect pairing
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Yield: 12 servings
A delicious Lasagna made with a red wine Bolognese sauce, rich with layers of three different cheeses.
Ingredients
Bolognese sauce:
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion
1 carrot
1 stick celery
2 garlic cloves
1 pound ground Italian sausage (sweet or spicy)
1 pound ground beef
1 small glass of Lambrusco sparkling wine
1 cup tomato puree
4 tablespoons tomato paste
Italian seasoning, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup beef broth
Lasagna:
1 box Barilla Gluten Free (no-boil) lasagna sheets
4 cups Bolognese sauce
1 15 ounce container ricotta cheese
1 egg
1 tablespoon butter
1 8 ounce bag mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated (plus extra for garnish)
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Instructions
Make the Bolognese sauce:
Chop the onion, carrot, celery and garlic and saute over medium high heat for a few minutes in the olive oil until soft and translucent.
Add the ground Italian sausage and beef and saute until cooked through, no longer pink.
Turn up the heat and pour in the Lambrusco wine and cook for about 5-8 minutes until the alcohol cooks off and reduces.
Add tomato puree and tomato paste, stir together.
Add italian seasoning, salt and pepper (to taste) and beef broth, reduce the heat to low and simmer for at least and hour, up to 2-3 hours until sauce thickens and flavors meld together in the sauce.
Keep the bolognese on low heat, covered, while making the lasagna.
Make the Lasagna:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
In a mixing bowl, mix egg and salt and pepper to taste with the ricotta cheese, set aside.
Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with butter.
Spread 1 cup of bolognese sauce on the bottom of the baking dish.
Place four sheets of lasagna side by side, slightly overlapped.
Top the lasagna sheets with 1 cup of bolognese sauce, 1/4 of the mozzarella, 1/4 of the ricotta, and 1/4 of the Parmesan cheese.
Repeat for 3 more layers, making sure lasagna sheets are fully covered with sauce (they need this to cook properly).
Spread the remaining sauce on the top layer, sprinkle with any additional mozzarella, ricotta and parmesan cheese.
Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 20 minutes.
Let rest 15 minutes before cutting, garnish with fresh parsley and additional parmesan cheese, if desired.
Serve the lasagna with a glass of Concerto Lambrusco, and maybe a simple arugula salad with shaved Parmesan and some toasted garlic bread for the perfect cozy weekend meal.
For more information on Concerto Lambrusco, check out their website and social media pages:
Comments