This slow-cooked bison Bolognese makes a fantastic lasagne. As with most meat sauces, stews, and chilis, it’s more flavorful and balanced the following day so make it in advance and reheat prior to lasagne assembly.
Quick reference for lasagne assembly: sauce/Bolognese, pasta, ricotta, Bolognese, mozzarella, parmesan, repeat. Depending on the size of your dish, you’ll get 3 or 4 layers. If you have extra cooked noodles, line the perimeter of the pan which makes for some crispy bits which are quite tasty.
Bison Bolognese for Lasagne
makes 4–5 cups, enough for one lasagne; adapted from Canal House Cooking
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 pound ground bison
- ¼ whole nutmeg, grated
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup dry wine, white or red
- 1 cup whole milk, hot
- one 28-ounce can San Marzano tomatoes, whole
- 1 cup chicken or beef broth
- water, if needed
Instructions
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Heat the olive oil and butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, just until softened, about 5 minutes.
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Add the ground bison and cook without browning, breaking up the meat with a cooking spatula or spoon. Sprinkle in the grated nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Cook until no longer rare, about 5 minutes.
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Add the wine and cook until evaporated, about 10 minutes.
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Add the hot milk and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until absorbed, about 20 minutes.
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Add the tomatoes, swish the broth in the tomato can to get out remaining purée, bring to simmer then reduce heat to low and cover the pan. Cover the pan, vent slightly, and allow the sauce to gently simmer, stirring occasionally and breaking up tomatoes with cooking spatula/spoon, until the meat is very tender, at least 1 hour but ideally 2–3 hours (or up to 6 like the chefs at Canal House!)
Add water, if needed, to keep the ragù loose and saucy.
Bison Bolognese Lasagne
one pan, 8- by 10-inches for deep dish or 9- by 13-inches for a thinner version
Ingredients
- 9–12 lasagne noodles, sheets or curly-edged Rustichella D'Abruzzo
- 4–5 cups Bison Bolognese (see above recipe on RIPE)
- 16 ounces whole milk ricotta Galbani's is reliably good
- 8 ounces mozzarella, shredded
- 2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, shredded
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta. When it comes to boil, add a couple tablespoons of salt. Cook the pasta al dente, following package instructions. Remove pasta from the water and set aside.
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Reheat bison Bolognese.
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Pick your pan: around 8- by 10-inches or up to 9- by 13-inches. Grease with butter.
Assemble the lasagne: Start with a few tablespoons of Bolognese, then layer pasta, ricotta, Bolognese, mozzarella, and parmesan. Repeat for a total of three layers, ending with cheese on top. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour, removing foil for the last 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit 10–30 minutes before serving.
