I spend an unhealthy amount of time endlessly scrolling food-tok, and I unapologetically eat with my eyes first. Until they invent scratch-and-sniff magazines, smell-o-vision, or brain-hacking virtual reality, food media is a visual game for me. There’s a lot of gross and unattractive stuff out there and my friends get a little thrill sending me the most unappetizing things they can find. So something that is aesthetically pleasing and delicious is more than welcome.
One such creation is the lasagna for two at Don Angie in New York City’s West Village, which has lived in my mind rent-free ever since I first tried it a few years ago (IYKYK). The dish plays with the form of lasagna, taking the traditional layered sheets and turning them on their side—rolled up with sauce like a jelly roll and then sliced into beautiful rosettes. It’s then baked and served with dollops of fresh robiolina cheese. The result is both delicious and Instagram-worthy. I’ve seen ready-made versions of these pasta rosettes in shops and grocery stores in Italy. Could I recreate this dish at home? I was highly motivated by the memory of that truly exceptional dish, and I was determined to find out.
Firstly, know that while the Don Angie dish is a more recent phenomenon, lasagna rosettes themselves are not a new concept. Variations of lasagna rolls have been circulating the internet for years, the inspiration likely from the Italian dish called rosette al forno (aka rosette Modenese). In Modena, the rosettes are rolled together with besciamella (the Italian spelling of béchamel), prosciutto cotto, fontina, and Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Since this recipe was an attempt to recreate the Don Angie version, I leaned into hearty flavors of lasagna bolognese featuring meaty sauce folded with creamy besciamella. The recipe—I’ll admit—is a process, and probably best done over two days, but it’s both doable and worthwhile, especially for special occasions. That said, don’t feel compelled to make every component yourself. While I love the process of making fresh pasta, for this project, store-bought is fine. Especially if that store is an Italian specialty shop selling freshly rolled lasagne sheets. The following tips are key to success for a showstopper pasta dish that will warm bellies and hearts alike.
The Key Components for Delicious Bolognese-Style Rosette al Forno
Spend the time making a great bolognese. I’ll be honest, the first time I made this recipe I was feeling extraordinarily ambitious. I made everything myself. I made the sauce myself. I made the pasta myself. I even whipped out my grinder attachment for my stand mixer and ground the meat myself. If you do grind your own meat, you can also grind your vegetables at the same time but other than that, there’s virtually no upside to doing this. Unlike some dishes that require a special grind, this recipe works just as well if you leave the meat grinding to the butcher. I will, however, suggest that you get a variety of meats for your bolognese.
Many meat sauce and meatball recipes call for a combination of beef, pork, and veal. Unless you’re making a large amount of sauce, it can be annoying to get such tiny quantities of ground pork and veal, so feel free to use only beef and pork, or just beef. Many grocers and butchers now also offer a “meatball mix” which is a mixture of all three meats in the appropriate ratios, so feel free to use that if it’s available.
Don’t underestimate the besciamella. The besciamella literally holds everything together—it’s an important component at almost every stage of this recipe. It’s included as a component on the bolognese to keep the sauce from drying out in the oven. The besciamella is used in between the two layers of the rosettes, and the logs are rolled together and glued shut using…more besciamella. You’ll also want to keep some for serving. I use a ratio of a tablespoon and a half each of flour and butter per cup of milk, which is what is used in Daniel’s classic béchamel recipe. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
For the best rosette al forno, use fresh pasta (buy it if you need to). Dry sheets of lasagna may seem like an appealing shortcut in this recipe, but they have a different texture than fresh even when cooked, and it’s unlikely that you’ll find sheets long enough to roll. The right pasta really makes a difference here. This recipe is designed for you to be able to use homemade pasta if you’re using a standard-size-width pasta roller, which is about six inches, as long as you consistently cut the sheets at the same length. However, if you’re lucky enough to live near a grocer that sells fresh pasta for lasagne, just buy it. You may have to order it in advance, but it’s worth it.
Roll then chill. The first step to assembling these rosettes is to make what I can only describe as a double-layered roll of pasta, like a jelly roll if you were using two layers of cake and two layers of frosting. The first sheet of lasagna is layered with besciamella and your cheeses, the second sheet of pasta is set on top, and then you spread the bolognese evenly on top of that; the whole thing is rolled up tightly and glued together with more besciamella. It’s essential that you chill your pasta logs at this point, or else the sauces that you worked so hard on will ooze out when you attempt to slice the rolls into shorter lengths.
Measure twice, cut once. When it comes to slicing, I suggest a very sharp knife or a serrated one and that you use a ruler to ensure that all your rosettes are the same length. Otherwise, when you put them into your baking dish, you will immediately notice the varying heights. This is not just aesthetically unappealing, the taller rosettes will brown more quickly and maybe even get a little burnt. Don’t be afraid to leave a few scraps of pasta on the cutting room floor to achieve your desired result.
For the Bolognese: In a 1-cup liquid measuring cup, sprinkle stock with gelatin; set aside.
In a large Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat until foaming. Add carrots, celery, and onions and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 6 minutes. Add half the ground meat and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up any large pieces as you go, until well browned, about 12 minutes. Add remaining meat and continue to cook until all meat is cooked through and broken into very small pieces, about 10 minutes.
Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in wine, scraping bottom of pot, and bring to a boil, then cook until raw alcohol smell has cooked off, about 5 minutes. Add bay leaf along with the reserved stock and bring to a simmer; lower heat to maintain a very gentle simmer. Stir in nutmeg and fish sauce (if using) and season with salt. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened and has almost no excess liquid remaining, about 2 hours.
Skim and discard any fat from surface along with bay leaf. Stir in cream and season with salt. Set aside while pasta and besciamella are prepared.
Meanwhile, for the Besciamella: In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add flour and whisk to form a paste. Continue to cook, stirring, until raw flour scent is gone, about 1 minute. Whisking constantly, add milk in a thin, steady stream until fully combined. Sauce will initially become very thick, then get very thin once all the milk is added.
Heat, stirring constantly, until sauce comes to a simmer and begins to thicken slightly. Reduce heat to low and cook until sauce is just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk in nutmeg. If any lumps form, simply whisk thoroughly or use a hand blender. Add 1/2 cup of the besciamella to the reserved bolognese. Press a piece of plastic wrap over surface of the remaining sauce to prevent a skin from forming and keep warm until ready to use.
To Assemble: Prepare an ice bath. In a pot of salted boiling water and working in batches, cook pasta until just shy of al dente, about 1 minute for fresh pasta. Using a spider or mesh strainer, transfer immediately to ice bath to cool.
Drain pasta well, then brush each sheet, one at a time, lightly on both sides with vegetable oil to prevent sticking. Lay them out on a parchment-lined baking sheet, with layers of plastic wrap between the layers of pasta to prevent sticking.
To Make the Rosette: On clean work surface lay one pasta sheet with a short side facing you. Spread 1/4 cup of the besciamella in a thin layer evenly on top of pasta sheet, then sprinkle with grated Parmigiano. Place a second sheet of pasta on top. Spread about 3/4 cup of the bolognese on top, leaving a 1-inch border at the top short edge farthest from you. Smear about a teaspoon of the besciamella on the border, Starting at the bottom, roll up the layered pasta like a jelly roll. Transfer to a sheet pan seam-side down.
Repeat the process with the remaining pasta sheets, cheese, and sauces to make a total of 5 rolls. Refrigerate the rolls until chilled, at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours.
To Make the Tomato Sauce: In a small saucepan, heat olive oil with garlic clove over medium heat until garlic begins to sizzle. Reduce heat to medium low and continue to cook until garlic is just beginning to turn golden, about 4 minutes. Remove garlic clove and discard. Add blended canned tomatoes (or passata) along with the basil and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, stirring often, until thickened and no longer watery (this may take almost no time at all for some passata products, or up to 20 minutes for waterier canned tomatoes). Remove from heat and season with salt. Set aside.
To Assemble and Bake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 3-quart oval or 9- by 13-inch baking dish with oil. Gently slice each roll in thirds crosswise to make 18 pinwheels.
Spoon a thin, even layer of passata on the bottom of baking dish. Arrange lasagne rolls cut side up, then sprinkle a generous amount of cheese on top. Bake, rotating baking sheet halfway through, until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.
Add remaining besciamella to a piping bag and pipe small dots in a decorative pattern; alternatively, dollop warmed besciamella on top with a spoon. Sprinkle with more cheese and serve.
Notes
You can mince the vegetables by hand, but for speed and ease, a food processor will make quick work of the aromatic vegetables.
You can make this recipe with ground beef alone, but for even better flavor and texture, a mixture of beef, pork, and veal will deliver best results.
Make Ahead and Storage
The bolognese can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Special Equipment
Dutch oven, 3-quart oval casserole dish or 9- by 13-inch baking dish, half sheet tray, pastry bag (optional), food processor (optional)