DON ANGIE LASAGNA
I have been dying to try the iconic pinwheel pasta from @donangienyc , but getting a reservation seems to be more difficult than winning the actual lottery. So, I decided to take matters into my own hands. You can have pretty much everything made ahead of time and then just bake it before serving. It also made great leftovers.
Time: 24 Hours | Difficulty: 4/5 | Servings: 8 - 10
Lasagna
The day before, make the Italian sausage bolognese, Besciamella, and tomato sauce (see recipes below). Place them in airtight containers in the fridge overnight. This is key as they will be easier to work cold when assembling the lasagna pinwheels.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a generous amount of salt. Meanwhile, set up an ice bath in a large bowl and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Place one sheet of pasta at a time in the boiling water for about 15 seconds, then place immediately in the ice bath for 15 seconds, and transfer to the lined sheet pan. Pat dry with a paper towel and cover with another layer of parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining pasta sheets until done.
On a clean surface, lay out one pasta sheet vertically, with the short side closest to you. Spread ¼ cup of the Besciamella in a thin layer evenly across the sheet, then sprinkle 1 cup of the mozzarella and ¼ cup of parmesan over it.
Place another sheet of pasta on top. Spread 1 cup of the Bolognese evenly across the second pasta sheet, but MAKE SURE to leave a 2-inch border at the top. Spoon 2 teaspoons of the Besciamella onto the uncovered edge to act as the “glue” when you start to roll your lasagnas.
Starting at the bottom, roll the layered pasta into a thick log (like a cinnamon roll). Transfer to a sheet pan seam-side down and place in the refrigerator to chill for 1-2 hours (this will make it easier to slice). Repeat until you have made 4 rolls. You can also store these in the freezer if you want to make them later.
Preheat the oven to 400°F and move your rolls to a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, slice each log into four 1-¾-inch-thick pieces. You can cut a little piece of each end for clean looking pieces.
Ladle enough tomato sauce into your baking dish(es), covering the entire bottom of the dish. The sauce should be at least ½ inch high. Arrange the lasagna pinwheels cut-side down in the baking dish. You should have 16 pinwheels total.
Bake until the pasta edges are golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. You can also broil for a few minutes at the end if the edges haven’t gotten crispy enough. Remove the baking dish from the oven and add tablespoon-sized dollops of whipped cream cheese between the pinwheels (I used a piping bag) and top with fresh chopped parsley.
Serve immediately. It also makes great leftovers!
Italian Sausage Bolognese
Chop your onions, garlic, celery, and carrots in a food processor, until your vegetables are the size of uncooked rice. Set aside. Rinse your food processor and repeat with the pancetta, until it’s the same size as the vegetables. Set aside in a separate bowl.
In a medium bowl, combine the Italian sausage and veal (or ground beef) and season with salt.
In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the meat and stir frequently, breaking it up into small pieces. Cook for about 15 minutes, until browned. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside. You can drain any excess fat from the pan, but keep the brown bit on the bottom (do not wash).
Add the pancetta to the same pot over medium heat and cook for about 8-10 minutes, until the pancetta is browned. Add the vegetables and cook for about 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are very soft and have darkened. Make sure to stir frequently.
Add the tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes. Stir frequently until you get a deep orange color. Stir in the wine and cook for another 5 minutes, or until fully evaporated.
Meanwhile, using your hands (or a food processor), crush the tomatoes in a medium bowl until completely broken up. Make sure to include the liquid.
Return the ground meat to the pot and add the milk, star anise, and tomatoes. Stir well and bring to a simmer. Cook uncovered over medium-low heat for roughly 2 hours, stirring occasionally. The sauce should thicken and take on a bright orange color.
Once your bolognese sauce is done cooking, discard the star anise. Remove the pot from heat. Add fish sauce or soy sauce, sugar, and lemon juice, and stir well. Let cool, then place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.
Besciamella
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt your butter. Add the garlic, shallots, bay leaf, thyme, peppercorns, and salt. Cook over low heat until the shallots are translucent, about 2 minutes.
Add the flour and stir well. Increase the heat to medium and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring continually, until the flour forms a smooth paste and turns light golden brown. Stir in the milk and cook for 5 minutes, stirring continually, until the Besciamella is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve.
Let cool and then place in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator.
Tomato Sauce
In a food processor, pulse the tomatoes (including the liquid) until they’re broken up but still chunky. You should have about 7 cups.
In a medium pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Add the garlic and salt and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is golden and fragrant. Add the crushed red pepper flakes and stir. Bring the sauce to a boil for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, season with the sugar, and stir in the basil sprigs.
Let the basil steep in the sauce for 5-30 minutes. Remove the basil and garlic from the sauce before serving. Let cool and then place in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator.
