Recipe: Perfect Pasta

Chef Matthew Zappoli is Creative Culinary Director for Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa, and he's bringing us back to basics to show how to make the best Bolognese sauce. Plus, how to make it into lasagna or serve up with fettuccine.

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Bolognese Sauce

Ingredients

2 lb ground beef
½ lb ground pork butt
½ lb ground veal
4 oz extra virgin olive oil
½ cup carrot, minced
½ cup celery, minced
1 cup onion, minced
2 tsp garlic, minced
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp red chili flakes
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup red wine
6 cups canned tomatoes
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp black pepper

Directions

In medium rondeau pan, add oil and meat and cook until fully cooked.

Add carrot, celery, onion and garlic. Sweat until translucent. Drain fat.

Add red wine to the meat mixture and reduce liquid by half.

Add in cream and reduce until almost dry.

Add the tomatoes and simmer on low heat for 40 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Add red chili flakes and dried oregano, season with salt and pepper.

Seasoned Ricotta

Ingredients

1 qt ricotta cheese
1 tbsp garlic, minced
3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
¼ cup pecorino cheese, grated
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp kosher salt

Directions

Combine all ingredients. Mix well. Refrigerate until ready to use

Lasagna

Ingredients

4 pasta sheets
3 cups Bolognese sauce (see recipe above)
3 cups seasoned ricotta (see recipe above)
2 cups mozzarella cheese
½ cup pecorino cheese
2 cups pomodoro sauce

Directions

Start with a small amount of pomodoro sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Then add a pasta sheet followed by an even layer of Bolognese sauce, pecorino cheese and mozzarella cheese.

Then add another pasta sheet followed by an even layer of the seasoned ricotta and some more mozzarella.

Repeat process twice so you have two layers of meat sauce and two layers of seasoned ricotta.

Top with another pasta sheet, and finish with layer of pomodoro, sprinkle of pecorino and mozzarella on top.

Bake at 350 °F until an internal temperature of 155 °F is reached.