The New Lasagna

While we at Pagliacci are generally sticklers for tradition, we are also restlessly inventive. Usually, our creative energies are spent on seasonal specials. But every so often we look for ways to improve old standards. This time we targeted our lasagna. We tried a great many variations before settling on a classic Italian combination of fresh egg pasta, a slow-cooked Bolognese sauce, and a rich béchamel.

As many an Italian grandmother would say, a true Bolognese is a meat sauce with some tomato, not a tomato sauce with some meat. To this end, our Bolognese sauce features lots of mild Italian pork sausage made by Ballard’s Cascioppo and loads of ground beef. We simmer the sauce until its texture is silky and it has the deep, meaty flavors that slow cooking brings out.

Using fresh pasta in lasagna transforms it into another dish altogether. We sourced Cucina Fresca to provide us with fresh, delicate sheets of both spinach and classic egg pasta. We alternately layer both types of pasta with Bolognese sauce, ricotta, parmesan, mozzarella, and béchamel. We top the many layers with breadcrumbs from Macrina and bake it until golden brown on top. The sauce cooks into the pasta. This helps hold the dish together. The result is a classic Italian lasagna with rich, satisfying layers of flavor.

Our lasagna is available at all our locations, for delivery, dine-in or take-out.  Try it and tell us what you think!