Go Back
–+ servings
Cooking with kids for this kid friendly bolognese lasagna
No ratings yet
Yield: 8 people

Homemade Bolognese Lasagna

Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Author: Andrew Gavin
Cooking with Kids: A Fun and Easy Homemade Bolognese Lasagna
Print Pin Recipe

Ingredients
 

Bolognese

  • 2 lb mix of ground beef, ground pork, and ground veal
  • 1 carrot, minced
  • 1 celery stalk, minced
  • 1 small onion or shallot, minced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups tomato puree, 16 oz
  • 1.5 lbs shredded mozzarella, 750 g
  • 1 bay leaf
  • olive oil
  • salt, to taste
  • white pepper, to taste

Fresh Pasta

  • 4 eggs
  • 400 g all purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

Equipment

  • 1 pasta press if making fresh homemade pasta
  • 1 large pot for cooking lasagna noodles
  • 1 medium for cooking the bolognese
  • 1 9x12 glass baking dish for cooking the bologenese lasagna
  • 1 large bowl optional for making the pasta
  • saran wrap or plastic bag for the pasta to rest
  • 1 non-stick silicon mat optional
  • 1 spatula
  • 1 pasta strainer
  • Tin foil to cover the lasagna

Instructions
 

Homemade Pasta (if using store bought noodles skip to the Bolognese Sauce)

  • Pour flour into a large mixing bowl.
  • In a small bowl, crack open the eggs and whisk to break up the yolks.
  • Pour the eggs on top of the flour along with the olive oil.
  • Mix all of the ingredients together until you have a dough ball.
  • In the bowl or on a large clean surface (or silicon mat) knead the dough ball for at least 5 minutes until the dough has good elasticity and all of the flour is incorporated.
  • Wrap the dough in saran wrap or a plastic bag such as a ziplock.
  • Place the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.
  • While the dough rests prepare the ingredients for the bolognese and cook the sauce per the below.

Bolognese Sauce

  • Place a medium pot on the stove and turn on the burner to medium.
  • Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pot.
  • Add the carrot, celery and onion.
  • Season with a few pinches of salt.
  • Cook until the vegetables are soft, around 10 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
  • Add the chicken or beef stock and cook for another 2-3 minutes until this has mostly evaporated.
  • Add the beef, veal, and pork to the pot. Season with a few pinches of salt and the white pepper. Cook the ground meats, stirring every few minutes until cooked through, around 10 minutes.
  • Add the tomato puree and bay leaf, stirring to incorporate. Turn the heat to medium low and let the sauce simmer for 30 minutes.
  • While the Bolognese cooks, fill the large pot with water 2/3 full. Season with 2 tbsp of kosher salt and turn on the burner to high to bring the water to a boil.

Pressing and Cooking the Pasta (if using store bough noodles, cook them for 3 minutes less than recommended and jump to the Preparing the Lasagna)

  • Take the dough out of the refrigerator and pull off a small dough ball about the size of a golf ball.
  • Press the dough ball flat and using a pasta press machine start flattening the dough ball. Continue to flatten one setting at a time until setting 6 is reached.
  • Sprinkle some extra flour onto the sheet of pasta and lay on a flat clean non-stick surface.
  • Continue pressing the pasta flat until all of the dough is used.
  • Dipping fresh homemade pasta noodles into hot water for bolognese lasagna
    Once the large pot of water is boiling gently place 3 or so noodles into the water, using a spatula to help keep the noodles partially submerged.
  • Cooking fresh homemade pasta noodles in boiling water for bolognese lasagna
    Cook for 2-3 minutes.
  • After cooking the fresh homemade pasta noodles, cooling them off in cold water for bolognese lasagna
    After 2-3 minutes remove to a pasta strainer and run under cold water which will make it easier to handle.
  • Repeat these cooking steps until all of your pasta sheets are cooked.

Preparing the Lasagna

  • In the 9x12 glass baking dish, spread a thin layer of Bolognese sauce.
  • Starting to layer this kid friendly bolognese lasagna
    Top with a noodle, then spread another thin layer of Bolognese sauce, followed by a thin layer of shredded mozzarella.
  • Adding a layer of bolognese to the lasagna
    Continue adding layers, pasta > sauce > cheese until you reach the top of the baking dish or run out of noodles/sauce/cheese
  • Adding a layer of cheese to this kid friendly bolognese lasagna
    Make sure to have enough sauce and cheese at the end to top the final layer of noodles with sauce and cheese.

Baking the Lasagna

  • Heat an oven to 200C / 400F.
  • Cover the lasagna with tin foil.
  • Place the lasagna in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
  • After 30 minutes raise the temp to 220C / 425F, remove the foil from the top, and bake for another 10 minutes.
  • After baking our kid friendly bolognese lasagna is complete
    At the end for extra browning on the lasagna turn on the broiler and making sure the top of the lasagna is 6 inches from the burner broil for 3 minutes or more. Keep an eye on the lasagna during this tie to make sure you get the right amount of browning you and your kids will enjoy.
  • Delicious layers of kid friendly bolognese lasagna ready to eat
    Bon appetit!
Did you make this recipe?Tag @savourthetrip with hashtag #savourthetrip on Instagram. We love to see what you make!