Bologna
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History
The Bolognese lasagne reached its modern form in the 19th-century kitchens of the Emilian noble houses, with the green pasta (sfoglia verde) made by working blanched spinach into the egg dough a Bolognese signature. Pellegrino Artusi's 1891 cookbook recorded a Bolognese maccheroni-and-besciamella bake that is the direct ancestor; the formal lasagne verdi recipe was deposited with the Accademia Italiana della Cucina in 2003. The canonical version layers at least seven sheets with ragu, besciamella and Parmigiano, the top layer always finished with breadcrumb-and-butter for the crust. Trattoria Anna Maria, Diana, Da Cesari and All'Osteria Bottega all serve the Sunday-lunch version.
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Common allergens: Gluten, Egg, Dairy
Make it at home
Ingredients
- For the green pasta: 300g 00 flour, 3 eggs, 150g blanched spinach (squeezed dry), pinch sea salt
- 1 quantity ragu alla bolognese (about 1.2kg, see tagliatelle recipe)
- For the besciamella: 80g butter, 80g 00 flour, 1 litre whole milk, nutmeg, sea salt
- 200g Parmigiano Reggiano 24-month, finely grated
- 50g fine breadcrumbs, 30g butter for the topping
Method
- Blanch the spinach 60 seconds, squeeze bone-dry, chop fine. Mix into the eggs, then knead with the flour for 10 minutes. Rest 30 minutes wrapped.
- Roll the pasta to 1mm, cut into 12cm by 20cm sheets. Blanch in salted boiling water 30 seconds each, drain on damp tea towels.
- Make the besciamella: melt butter, whisk in flour, cook 90 seconds, gradually add warm milk whisking until thickened. Season with nutmeg, salt. Should coat a spoon thinly.
- Heat oven to 180C/350F. Butter a deep baking dish. Layer: thin besciamella, pasta sheet, ragu (no more than 4 tablespoons per layer), besciamella, Parmigiano. Repeat for at least 7 layers.
- Finish with pasta, besciamella, Parmigiano, breadcrumbs and dotted butter. Bake 35 to 40 minutes until the top is golden and the edges crisp.
- Rest 15 minutes before cutting. The squares should hold their shape on the plate.
Tip from the editors. Less ragu per layer than instinct suggests; besciamella is what makes the lasagne creamy, not the meat. Resting after baking is non-negotiable.
Where to eat lasagne verdi alla bolognese
Lasagne verdi alla bolognese in Bologna
Trattoria Anna Maria ★ 4.6
Trattoria Anna Maria in Bologna near Via Zamboni is the city's most-photographed sfoglia trattoria, run by Anna Maria Monari since 1985 with hand-rolled.
OrderTagliatelle al ragu, tortellini in brodo, lasagne verdi, gnocco fritto.
TipBook a week ahead for dinner. Lunch is calmer and the sfogline still hand-roll pasta in the window between services.
Da Cesari ★ 4.4
Da Cesari in Bologna's Centro Storico is the four-generation Carati family trattoria, operating since 1955, a steady room for the canonical Bolognese carte.
OrderTagliatelle al ragu, cotoletta alla bolognese, friggione on the side.
TipBook a fortnight ahead by phone; the family carte does not change and the wine cellar is run by Massimiliano Carati personally.
All'Osteria Bottega ★ 4.7
All'Osteria Bottega is saragozza's 28-seat osteria from daniele minarelli and valeria tonelli; the canonical emilian carte at full editorial precision.
Why locals goSaragozza's 28-seat osteria from Daniele Minarelli and Valeria Tonelli; the canonical Emilian carte at full editorial precision.
TipBook three weeks ahead by phone; the room seats 28 and the lunch service has the easiest tables.
Trattoria di Via Serra ★ 4.7
Trattoria di Via Serra (Italian) in Bologna: Book three weeks ahead online; lunch is the easier seating and the kitchen runs the same carte at both meals.
Why locals goBolognina's quiet, neighbourhood-scaled trattoria; the tagliatelle al ragu is the city's most-cited by editors but tourists never wander north of the station.
TipBook three weeks ahead online; lunch is the easier seating and the kitchen runs the same carte at both meals.
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