Northern Lasagna

1 28oz can whole tomatoes lightly processed

1C (or more)) freshly grated Romano or Parmigiano

2 lbs ground beef, pork, veal (or any combination)

2 carrots minced

1 onion minced

1 celery stalk minced

2 large bay leaves; fresh grated nutmeg, and fresh basil

2 TBS tomato paste

Salt & Pepper to taste

Bolognese: Saute’ vegetables until just tender, add meat and cook until it barely looses its color. Add salt & pepper to taste. Add tomatoes & bay leaf and cook gently until thickened a bit and the flavor is good. Set aside

Béchamel: melt one stick of butter and mix in 10 TBS flour. Stir until the mixture is thickened but has no color. Slowly whisk in 1 qt of milk and continue to stir until the mixture has thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Add in nutmeg to taste

Cook lasagna sheets for about 1.5 minutes.

Assembly: Start with a thin layer of the bolognese on the bottom of the pan. Then, layer the sheets with a spoonful of béchamel, a spoonful of bolognese and a sprinkling of cheese. We like to do 4-5 layers. Top with more of the cheese, cover, and cook for about 30 minutes at 350 until bubbling. Let the lasagna rest for about 10 minutes and serve in warmed plates with some fresh julienned basil and lemon zest.