How to Make Lasagna Sauce

There are as many versions of lasagna as there are cooks. Filling ingredients vary; but there are two main sauces used, a red and a white. You can alternate them between the layers of pasta and filling. Start with red on the very bottom and ending with white on the top; but do it the way you like it best. That's what any Italian grandmother would tell you! Read on for some help.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• 3 cups milk
• 6 tbsp. butter
• 6 tbsp. flour
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg (to taste)
• 1/4 tsp. salt (to taste)
• 1/8 tsp. pepper (to taste)
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 large can Italian tomatoes in juice, whizzed 5 seconds in blender
• 1 6 oz. can tomato paste
• 1 medium onion
• 1 stalk celery
• 2 cloves garlic (or to taste)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tsp. dried Italian herb seasoning
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (if you can get them)
• 1/2 tsp. salt (to taste)
• 1/8 tsp. pepper (to taste)

Make White Sauce

1. Heat milk over low heat until steaming but not yet boiling. Remove from heat.
2. Melt butter over medium heat in large sauce pan. Add flour to melted butter and stir well to combine. Continue stirring and cooking for 3 to 4 minutes. Do not allow it to brown.
3. Add seasonings to butter and flour mixture. Cook for another thirty seconds.
4. Add hot milk to butter flour mixture, whisking to combine. Once all the milk is added, cook until the mixture bubbles. Allow it to simmer, stirring constantly for 2 to 3 minutes.

Make Red Sauce

5. Finely chop onion, celery and garlic. Heat the olive oil on medium heat in a large sauce pan.
6. Add chopped vegetables. Saute them until they are transparent and soft. Add seasonings, canned tomatoes and tomato paste.
7. Fill tomato paste can with water and add to sauce.
8. Stir occasionally over medium heat until sauce becomes moderately thick and cohesive.

Tips & Warnings

• You can add 2 tbsp. of freshly grated Parmesan, Romano or Asiago cheese to the white sauce just before removing it from the heat.
• Don't let the milk for the white sauce boil; or it can curdle or scorch.
• Stir the white sauce constantly. It will burn easily.
• You can crumble 1/4 lb. of Italian sausage or hamburger and brown it with the vegetables for the red sauce.
• Alternate these two sauces with lasagna noodles and your choice of cheeses and fillings.
• Once your lasagna is cooked, make sure you let it set for at least half an hour, or it will fall apart when you cut it.