Lasagna Vincisgrassi
Published September 25, 2007
Chester Higgins Jr./The New York Times
- Total Time
- 4 hours
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 slice prosciutto, ¼- inch thick, about 6 ounces, diced
3 cups finely diced onions
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 tablespoon tomato paste
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 ½ pounds boneless veal shoulder, trimmed, in ¼-inch dice
1 750-milliliter bottle dry Marsala
2 cups veal stock
6 cups chicken stock
3 whole cloves
1 bay leaf, 1 sprig rosemary, 1 sprig thyme, tied together
Salt and black pepper
1 ounce dried porcini
4 cups heavy cream
1 large egg
1 pound cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
5 sheets fresh pasta for lasagna, each about 9 by 12 inches
2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 to 8 servings)
46 grams carbs; 355 milligrams cholesterol; 1232 calories; 26 grams monosaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 45 grams saturated fat; 82 grams fat; 1 gram trans fat; 3 grams fiber; 1928 milligrams sodium; 56 grams protein; 12 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Place 3 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add prosciutto and sauté until starting to brown. Lower heat to medium-low and add onions, celery and carrots. Cook until soft but not brown. Stir in tomato paste and cook 2 minutes.
- Step 2
Heat 4 tablespoons butter with 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add veal and sauté over medium-high heat until meat starts to brown. Transfer veal to a saucepan, draining it well.
- Step 3
Discard fat in sauté pan. Return pan to medium-high heat, add Marsala and boil, loosening residue in pan with a wooden spoon. Cook until reduced to 2 cups. Pour into saucepan. Add veal stock, 2 cups chicken stock, cloves and herbs. Partly cover. Simmer 2 hours. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Step 4
Place porcini in warm water to cover and soak. Meanwhile, combine cream and remaining 4 cups chicken stock in a large saucepan, bring to a simmer and cook about 1 hour, until thickened and reduced to 2 cups. Pour into a blender and process on low, then higher speed. Add egg and process briefly. Taste and season with salt and pepper, strain into a bowl and set aside to cool.
- Step 5
Squeeze porcini dry and chop. Add remaining olive oil to a skillet, add all mushrooms and sauté until cremini have started browning. Fold into veal mixture (ragu). Set aside.
- Step 6
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Have a large bowl of salted ice water ready. Line a large baking sheet with kitchen towels. Add pasta sheets to boiling water one at a time, cook each 2 minutes then place in ice water. Drain pasta sheets and spread on towels to dry.
- Step 7
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush a 9-by-13-inch lasagna pan with remaining butter. Lay a sheet of pasta in pan. Sprinkle with ⅓ cup cheese. Spread about ¼ of the ragu over cheese. Spread on ½ cup cream sauce. Continue layering until covered with last sheet of pasta. Spread with remaining cream sauce, then remaining cheese.
- Step 8
Bake 25 minutes, until bubbling. Increase heat to 400 degrees and bake about 5 minutes to brown top. Remove from oven and let stand 20 minutes before cutting in squares and serving.
Private Notes
Comments
This is an incredible dish but the recipe as written is a challenge to follow. The ragu was sensational - note: when the recipe says to put the veal in "a" saucepan it should say "the saucepan with the vegetables." Stick with the ratio of parmesan. We overdid and the dish was overwhelmed - our error. The bechamel also took about 2x as long as it said it would; don't skip it - it was heavenly. It was wonderful and took the full 4 hours as promised.
I believe this is a recipe of Chef Fabio Trabocchi. I decided to make this since it's from Le Marche, which is where my family is from and where this dish originated. We're not veal eaters so I used a pork roast. If you'e substituting the meat, you may need to purée about 1/4 of it to thicken the sauce. Both sauces are scrumptious and I made the pasta myself (no pre-boil). This was one of the best lasagnas I've ever had and is now a part of my repertoire!
I would love to see this recipe written more comprehensively. It's hard to tell which ingredients go into which pan. Also, the bechamel took me about twice as long, as well.
Fantastic lasagna but the recipe itself needs attention, as others comment. It's very rich and concentrated, and takes more time and attention than is indicated. I would make it again, though, it's a "no holds barred" cream sauce reduction. Seriously, plan at least 2 days for a more casual prep experience - ie, making your own stock, prepping the meat, and reducing the sauce. If I were to make it again on a Saturday, I would shop Tuesday and spread the prep throughout the following days.
Noted: photo of elegantly round portions of lasagna is not described in the recipe, unless I missed something as I skimmed over it.
This was amazing, I made it exactly according to the recipe and it was so good, but a long prep time. Everything that you make goes into same veal ragu mixture except the cream sauce, so you end up with bechamel and ragu. Next time I will have butcher grind the veal instead of me trying to 1/4 dice, and maybe even brown it in batches. This tasted amazing the day of, but was even better next day. So next time I will split into two pans and freeze one. But there definitely will be a next time!