Considered as a first course, lasagna is for me a way of life, a work of art the foundation of Italy’s cultural heritage. A great tasty classic, this delight is suitable for any occasion: it brings hearts together, closes wounds. With the creaminess given by a delicate béchamel sauce, the enveloping taste of the meat sauce and the crispy crust that is created on top, lasagna is simply a spectacle.

There are many recipes, but this is the traditional version made with a Tuscan meat sauce par excellence. My years ago, my father thought of making it even tastier by finishing it with a drizzle of truffle oil and, since then, I have not been able to do without it. And you, are you are you ready to touch the sky with a finger, or better, with a fork?

Classic Tuscan Lasagna recipe

• 500 g of lasagna sheets
• 1 kg of meat sauce
• 250 gr of parmesan cheese

Ingredients for the béchamel sauce

• 2 l whole milk
• 200 gr of butter
• 200 gr of flour
• 1 pinch of salt
• nutmeg to taste (optional)

Ingredients for the ragout

• 500 gr of minced veal
• 250 gr of minced pork
• 1 sausage
• 175 gr of chicken livers (if not appreciated replace with veal)
• 1 carrot
• 1 celery stalk
• 1 medium garlic clove
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• 2 sage leaves
• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
• 250 gr of tomato puree
• 1/2 glass of red wine
• Water at room temperature, as much as needed

Preparation

• The times of the realization of this dish are rather long because of the preparation of the meat sauce, which takes about 4 hours. Therefore I suggest to prepare the meat sauce the day before so that, once warmed up, it will be immediately ready to use. Otherwise, make it following my recipe of tuscan ragout.
• Start by preparing the béchamel sauce: light and creamy…

[To get the full original recipe we suggest
to buy the cookbook “About San Gimignano“]