Lasagna Bolognese with Rosemary Sausage

By Saskia Poulos, Chef and Organic Farm Assistant at the Oak Spring Garden Foundation

(SERVES 4)

The Rosemary Sausage in this recipe delivers a major punch of flavor, almost eliminating the need to add any extra herbs and spices.  Should you decide lasagna is not the way to go, this recipe also provides the perfect Bolognese sauce. 

Chapel Hill Rosemary Sausage Lasagna Bolognese 1.jpg
Chapel Hill Rosemary Sausage Lasagna Bolognese 2.jpg
Chapel Hill Rosemary Sausage Lasagna Bolognese 3.jpg
 

INGREDIENTS:

Bolognese:

  • 12 oz Chapel Hill Rosemary Beef Sausage

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

  • 1 small onion, small dice

  • 1 large/ 2 small carrots, peeled and cut into a small dice

  • 1 rib celery, small dice

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • 1 teaspoon tomato paste

  • ¼ cup red wine

  • 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 1 c beef stock/ water

  • Salt to taste

Bechamel:

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • ¼ cup all purpose flour

  • 1 ½ cups milk

  • ½ teaspoon salt

For the lasagna:

  • ½ box no-boil lasagna noodles

  • 5 oz mozzarella cheese, grated

PREPARATION

  1. To make the Bolognese, remove the Rosemary Sausage from its casing.  Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a medium sized pot over medium high heat, and brown the sausage meat, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks.  Remove from the pot when all the water has evaporated out of the meat and it has browned.  Set aside in a bowl.

  2. Add two more tablespoons of olive oil to the same pot, then add the chopped onion, carrots and celery in succession, waiting two minutes between each addition.  Sweat over medium heat until the vegetables soften, about eight minutes total. 

  3. Add the garlic, cook one minute to soften.  Add the tomato paste, and cook for two minutes before adding the red wine.  Reduce the wine until it is almost dry, then add the bay leaf, tomatoes and stock/ water.  Bring to boil, lid, and then turn down to simmer for about 45 minutes- 1 hour, or until the meat is tender and the flavors have come together.  Season to taste.  The sauce can be done two days ahead.  Note- this sauce would be perfect tossed with pasta and served with Parmesan at this point!

  4. While the Bolognese is simmering, prepare your bechamel.  Melt butter in a small pot over medium heat.  Whisk in the flour, stirring until a smooth paste forms.  Add the milk, slowly at first and then faster as the base becomes more stable. Whisk over medium heat until the bechamel thickens to a yoghurt-like consistency, about three minutes.  Set aside.  The bechamel can be made two days ahead.

  5. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

  6. Spread a thin layer of bechamel in an 8x8 baking dish.  Add a layer of lasagna sheets, breaking the sheets if necessary, then follow with a third of the bechamel, a fourth of the Bolognese, a layer of lasagna sheets and so on until you have used all the bechamel.  The last layer will be Bolognese on lasagna sheets.  To finish, cover the Bolognese with an even layer of  mozzarella.

  7. Cover with foil, and bake 40 mins at 350 F.  Turn the oven up to 425 F, remove the foil, and bake 10 more minutes until nice and bubbly.  Remove from the oven, and let it stand 10 minutes before serving.