Lasagne al Ragù Bolognese — The Real Sunday Version

Blanch spinach in boiling water for 1–2 min, drain, and squeeze bone-dry in a clean kitchen towel — any residual water will make the dough sticky and the sheets will tear when rolled. Chop fine, then work together with the 300g 00 flour and 3 eggs into a smooth dough. Knead 8–10 min until elastic. Wrap tight in cling film and rest 30 min at room temperature.

Finely dice the onion, celery, and carrot. Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low. Add the soffritto with a pinch of salt and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until completely soft and sweet — 20–25 min. No colour at all.

Raise heat to medium-high. Add the beef and pork. Break up thoroughly with a wooden spoon and cook until all the moisture evaporates and the meat starts to brown, 10–15 min. Season generously with salt.

Pour in the wine and scrape the base of the pot. Simmer hard until the alcohol is gone, ~5 min. Reduce heat to medium. Add 200ml of the milk and stir until mostly absorbed, ~10 min. Stir in the tomato paste and 300ml warm water.

Drop to the lowest possible heat. Partially cover and simmer for 3 hours minimum — 4 is better. Stir every 30 min and add a splash of water if the ragù starts to stick or tighten too fast. The finished sauce should hold its shape on a spoon, not pool or run.

Divide the rested dough into 4 portions. Roll each on a pasta machine to setting 6 or 7 (1–2 mm thick). Cut into sheets sized to fit your baking dish.

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Blanch sheets 2–3 at a time for 30–60 seconds each. Remove with tongs and lay flat on a clean kitchen towel in a single layer to dry. Do not stack them.

Melt 80g of the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the plain flour and whisk constantly for 2 min to cook the roux. Gradually add the remaining 1200ml milk in a steady stream, whisking continuously, until smooth. Simmer on medium-low, stirring often, until the béchamel thickly coats the back of a spoon — 8–10 min. Season with salt and a generous scrape of fresh nutmeg.

Preheat oven to 180°C (fan 160°C). Rub a 30 × 22 cm (12 × 9 inch) baking dish with the remaining 15g butter.

Spread a thin smear of béchamel across the base. Cover with pasta sheets. Spoon over ragù, then béchamel, then a dusting of Parmigiano. Repeat for at least 6 pasta layers. Finish the top with béchamel and a generous grating of Parmigiano.

Bake uncovered for 40–45 min until the top is deep gold and the edges are bubbling.

Rest the lasagne on a wire rack for at least 20 min before cutting. The layers need to set — cut sooner and they slide apart. This is not optional.