Italiano
Baked lasagna
This is my version of one of Italy’s most classic dishes that we pair with a La Pevera 2016 Geografico.
Ingredients for 8 people:
20-22 sheets of fresh pasta dough and 150g grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
For the ragù: 700g ground pork and beef, ½ onion, ½ glass of white wine, 1 celery stick, 2 carrots, 1l tomato puree, 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil salt and, if desired, pepper.
For the béchamel: 100g of 00 flour, 1l whole milk, 100g butter, nutmeg as needed, a pinch of salt and 100g grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
Directions:
Prepare the vegetable sauté by washing the celery stick and carrots and peeling the onion then chop them all finely with a knife or in a blender. Heat the EVOO in a pan and add the vegetables and sauté them for a few minutes while stirring to ensure the onion does not brown. Add the ground meat and brown it for a few minutes before adding the wine and the tomato puree, once the alcohol has evaporated. Mix together and salt to taste, adding some pepper if desired. Cover the pan and simmer the sauce for around two hours, stirring occasionally.
Prepare the béchamel by melting the butter in a pan at a low heat, without letting it fry. Remove the pan from the heat and slowly add in the sifted flour, stirring constantly with a whisk to avoid creating any lumps. When finished, place the pan back on the heat and let it turn brownish. Trickle in the milk while continuing to stir constantly. Add some nutmeg and salt and continue to stir until the sauce thickens perfectly. Remove from the heat and mix in the grated Parmigiano.
Prepare the lasagna in a rectangular pan about 30x20 in size. First add a ladle of béchamel to create a layer to keep the pasta from sticking and then place some sheets of fresh pasta to cover the bottom of the pan making sure they touch but do not overlap by more than a couple of millimeters. Add in a layer of ragù with béchamel and grated Parmigiano. Create another layer of fresh pasta sheets followed by the sauce and béchamel and continue the process until the ingredients are finished. Place a layer of pasta on top and cover abundantly with Parmigiano.
Preheat the oven to 180°C and bake the lasagna for around 30 minutes, until a lovely crust forms on the top. Remove the lasagna from the oven and let it cool slightly before serving.
Wine to pair:
La Pevera Toscana Igt 2016 Geografico
Dark ruby color with garnet hue. Fragrant nose, with notes of ripe blackberries and figs, blueberries and sweet elderberries in the background. Vanilla, hints of gingerbread, dark chocolate and subtle oak. Well structured on the palate, with ripe yet firm tannins and fine acidity adding freshness. Hints of dark chocolate and mild spices lingering in the aftertaste.
Production area: vineyards of the vintners already united in the association 'Agricoltori del Chianti Geografico' near Gaiole in Chianti.
Grape varieties: Sangiovese 50%, Cabernet sauvignon 40%, Syrah 10%.
Vinification: The selected grapes are harvest and vinified separately in stainless steel tanks. The maceration and winemaking processes guarantee a gentle extraction of supple tannins and complex aromas. The resulting wine is then blended and kept in old cement tanks where the malolactic fermentation takes place before aging for 24 months in French tonneaux.
Alcohol content: 14% vol.
Serving temperature: 16-18°C
Suggested food pairings: lasagna, pasta with meat sauce, lamb and steak.
Curiosity: Pevera is the term used to indicate the ancient wooden funnel used to pour the wine into oak barrels.
