Pasta Duo Recipe

Prepare soffritto and brown meats

Heat olive oil and 2 tbs butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 8–10 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute. Increase heat to medium-high, add ground beef and pork, breaking up with a spoon; cook until browned and most moisture has evaporated, about 8–10 minutes.

Deglaze and build sauce

Stir in tomato paste and cook 2 minutes to caramelize. Pour in white wine, scrape browned bits from bottom and simmer until wine has mostly evaporated, about 3–4 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, stock, bay leaf, dried oregano, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir to combine.

Simmer

Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 45–60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened and flavors have melded. If sauce reduces too quickly, add a splash of stock or water. Towards the end, stir in whole milk and simmer 10 more minutes; this mellows acidity and enriches the sauce. Remove bay leaf.

Make béchamel

While sauce simmers, make béchamel: melt 60 g butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1–2 minutes to form a roux without browning. Gradually whisk in 800 ml milk, smoothing lumps. Simmer gently, whisking, until sauce thickens to a pourable cream (about 6–8 minutes). Season with 0.25 tsp nutmeg, 0.75 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp white or black pepper. Remove from heat.

Assemble lasagna

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). In a 33x23 cm (roughly 9x13 in) baking dish: spread a thin layer (about 1 cup) of meat sauce on bottom. Arrange 3–4 lasagna sheets to cover. Spread ~1 cup béchamel, then 1–1.5 cups Bolognese, and sprinkle 2–3 tbs grated Parmesan. Repeat 3 layers finishing with a generous layer of béchamel and a final sprinkle of Parmesan (reserve some Parmesan for serving). If using dried pasta that requires pre-cooking, follow package instructions and slightly undercook so it finishes cooking in the oven.

Bake

Cover dish loosely with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10–15 minutes more until top is lightly golden and bubbling. Let rest 15 minutes before slicing to set.

Toast pine nuts

In a small dry skillet over medium heat, toast pine nuts, stirring frequently, until fragrant and just golden, about 3–4 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool so they don't continue to color.

Make pesto

In a food processor or mortar and pestle: combine basil leaves, cooled pine nuts, garlic cloves, grated Parmesan, salt and pepper. Pulse or grind until coarsely combined. With the processor running, stream in extra-virgin olive oil until emulsified and you have a smooth but slightly textured pesto. Stir in lemon juice if using. Taste and adjust salt/cheese/oil balance. If pesto is very thick, loosen with 1–2 tbs warm pasta cooking water when tossing with pasta.

Cook trofie

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook trofie according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup (240 ml) of pasta cooking water before draining.

Toss pasta with pesto

Return drained trofie to the pot off the heat. Add 3–4 tbs pesto and 2–4 tbs reserved pasta water and toss gently to coat. Add more pesto or a splash of cooking water to reach desired creaminess. Finish with a drizzle (1–2 tbs) of extra-virgin olive oil and a scattering of grated Parmesan.

Plate: serve a generous square of Lasagna Bolognese alongside a portion of Trofie al Pesto. Sprinkle extra grated Parmesan over both as desired, add torn basil leaves and a grind of cracked black pepper.

Storage & Reheat: Refrigerate leftover lasagna covered for up to 3 days (or freeze up to 2 months). Reheat individual lasagna portions in a 180°C oven covered until warmed through, about 15–20 minutes from refrigerated. Reheat pesto pasta gently in a skillet with a splash of water to loosen.