Pasticcio d'Italia

Saturday, March 27, 2010
We had this wonderful pasticcio (the word means "I mess up" in Italian, but the dish is similar to American lasagna) at our friends' farewell dinner in Italy.  We've tried for some time to recreate the beautiful flavor and simplicity of the dish.  We seemed to have gotten it right this time.  It was wonderful!  And it's actually a lot healthier than your typical lasagna.

Pasticcio d'Italia
1/4 c butter
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp whole wheat flour
2 1/4 c milk
pinch of nutmeg
3 Tbsp olive oil
4 carrots, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 lb lean ground meat
scant 1/2 c dry white wine
8 oz can plain tomato sauce
2 Tbsp butter
salt and pepper, to taste
1 pkg whole wheat egg lasagne (we used Gia Russa)
1/2 c water
Bechamel Sauce: Melt 1/4 c butter in saucepan over medium heat.  Whisk in the flour.  Pour in all the milk, whisking constantly until it starts to boil.  Season with salt, lower the heat, cover and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for a least 20 minutes.  Remove from the heat.  Taste and add more salt if necessary and season with nutmeg and pepper. 
Bolognese: Heat olive oil in pan, add the carrot and onion and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.  Add the meat and cook until browned, then pour in the wine and cook until it has evaporated.  Season with salt, add the tomato sauce and simmer for 30 minutes, then season with salt and pepper.  Preheat the oven to 400F.  Grease an ovenproof dish. 
Arrange a layer of lasagne on the base of the prepared dish, spoon some of the meat sauce, then some of the bechamel sauce on top, sprinkle with some of the Parmesan and dot with some of the butter.  Repeat the alternating layers until all the ingredients have been used, ending with a layer of bechamel sauce & Parmesan.  Four layers of lasagne noodles is best.  Pour water around edges and cover.  Bake for 30 minutes.