Recipes from Chef Kaloyan Kolev

Traditional Lasagna Bolognese

Hello!

Today I want to share with you a classic, incredibly delicious and beloved recipe, perfect for cold winter days, but honestly great all year round. It’s a dish you can easily prepare at home without any special equipment. It takes about an hour and a half, but trust me, it’s worth every second, especially if you enjoy cooking and appreciate high-quality, homemade food prepared entirely by you.

Ingredients

For the pasta sheets:

• 0.8 kg tipo 00 flour

• 0.042 kg whole eggs (without shells)

• 0.008 kg finely ground sea salt

For the Bolognese sauce:

• 1.2 kg canned San Marzano tomatoes (Mutti whole peeled tomatoes)

• 0.6 kg Black Angus ground beef (shoulder)

• 0.1 kg onion, diced

• 0.06 kg carrots, diced

• 0.1 kg celery, diced

• 0.03 kg garlic, finely chopped

• 0.120 kg olive oil

• 0.160 kg red wine

• 0.001 kg bay leaf

• 0.001 kg oregano

• 0.002 kg black pepper

• 0.008 kg salt

For the Béchamel sauce:

• 1 kg whole milk

• 0.1 kg butter

• 0.1 kg flour

• 0.001 kg nutmeg

• 0.008 kg salt

For assembling and garnishing:

• 0.02 kg fresh basil

• 0.2 kg grated mozzarella

• 0.150 kg Parmesan

• 0.03 kg olive oil

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Procedure

1. Start by preparing the pasta dough, as it needs to rest for at least 40 minutes so the wet and dry ingredients incorporate well. Mix the flour and salt thoroughly, then make a well on your work surface. Add the eggs in the center and begin mixing with a fork from the middle outward. Continue until a shaggy dough forms, then switch to your hands, pressing the pieces together until you get a dough ball. Knead for about one minute until smooth. Wrap in plastic film and refrigerate for 40 minutes.

2. Prepare the Bolognese sauce. Dice the vegetables and sauté them in olive oil, then add the ground beef. Increase the heat and break the meat into very small pieces using a wooden spoon. There should be no large chunks, otherwise layering the lasagna evenly becomes difficult. Add the wine and reduce until the alcohol aroma disappears. Then add the canned tomatoes, previously blended. Add the spices, cook for about 20 minutes, and season with salt at the end.

3. Prepare the béchamel. In a pot, melt the butter and cook the flour in it, stirring every 30 seconds on medium heat for about 5 minutes. The mixture should become golden, not brown. Add the preheated milk in three stages, whisking until you get a smooth sauce. Season with salt and nutmeg.

4. I like to mix the two sauces together before assembling the lasagna. The result is great because the flavors distribute very evenly.

5. Take the dough out of the refrigerator. Flour your work surface, cut the dough into 4 pieces to make rolling easier, and start rolling it out with a rolling pin. Apply even pressure from end to end to get uniform sheets about 3 mm thick. You will need 7 sheets. Cut them to the size of your baking dish (for this recipe: 325 x 265 mm).

6. Begin layering the lasagna. Add some olive oil to the bottom of the dish, then 0.150 kg sauce, then the first pasta sheet. Continue with 0.3 kg sauce, 0.02 kg mozzarella, and 0.1 kg Parmesan. Repeat the process for all 7 sheets. Finish with 0.3 kg sauce and the remaining cheese.

7. Bake at 180°C without a fan for 25 minutes (top and bottom heat), then another 10–15 minutes with a fan, until the cheese becomes golden.

8. Remove from the oven and let the lasagna rest for at least 20–30 minutes before cutting. During this time, the sheets will continue to absorb the sauce. Cut into pieces of your preferred size. Serve and garnish with fresh basil and, optionally, a glass of red wine.

Enjoy your meal!