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Lasagna di Carnevale (Neapolitan Lasagna) Recipe

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4 from 160 reviews

Lasagna di Carnevale (Neapolitan Lasagna) is a traditional, rich Italian dish featuring layers of homemade fresh pasta, a slow-cooked Ragu alla Napoletana, tender fried meatballs, creamy ricotta mixed with flavorful tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, hard-boiled eggs, and a generous topping of grated Pecorino or Parmigiano Reggiano. Made best with ragu prepared a day in advance to deepen the flavors, this festive lasagna is baked to perfection and perfect for special occasions.

Ingredients

Ragu alla Napoletana

  • 1 batch Ragu alla Napoletana (prepared 1 day in advance, see notes)

Meatballs

  • 1 thick slice crusty bread, crusts removed (50g/2oz)
  • ⅓ cup (80ml) milk
  • 1 egg
  • 8 oz (250g) beef brisket or ground beef
  • Small handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup (30g) Pecorino or Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated (plus extra for layers)
  • Sunflower oil or other flavourless oil for frying
  • Pinch of salt

Pasta Dough

  • 300 g 00 flour (2 1/4 cups, spooned and levelled)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 egg yolk

Ricotta Mixture

  • 2 cups (500g/1.1 lb) Ricotta
  • About ¼ cup (60ml) tomato sauce from the ragu

Additional Fillings

  • 3 hard boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
  • 8.8 oz (250g) fresh mozzarella (2 balls), sliced or torn

Instructions

  1. Prepare the ragu (1 day in advance): Follow the Ragu alla Napoletana recipe to make the ragu, using all the sauce and beef for the lasagna while removing the sausages and ribs from it. Making the ragu a day ahead enhances the flavor and eases the assembly process.
  2. Prep the pasta dough: On a clean work surface, pile the flour and create a large well in the center. Crack in 3 whole eggs and 1 egg yolk. Using a fork, gently whisk the eggs while incorporating flour slowly until a rough dough forms. Knead by hand for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Wrap tightly in cling film and rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
  3. Make the meatballs: Tear the bread into pieces and soak in milk until soft. Blitz beef brisket briefly in a food processor (skip if ground beef is used). Combine beef, soaked bread (squeezed of excess milk), parsley, grated Pecorino, egg, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Mix thoroughly and roll into tiny meatballs using about ½ teaspoon of mixture each, yielding around 60-70 meatballs.
  4. Fry the meatballs: Heat about one inch of sunflower oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Fry meatballs in batches until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on kitchen paper to remove excess oil.
  5. Prepare the ricotta mixture: In a bowl, mix ricotta with about ¼ cup (60ml) of tomato sauce from the ragu until smooth and combined.
  6. Roll out the pasta dough: Divide the dough into four equal parts, keeping unused portions wrapped. Using a pasta machine, flatten one portion to the widest setting. Fold the dough into thirds and roll through again twice for strength. Then pass the dough through each setting once, decreasing thickness until the second thinnest setting (typically #7 on most machines).
  7. Blanch the pasta sheets: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cut pasta sheets to fit your lasagna dish. Blanch the sheets in boiling water for 10-20 seconds until just cooked. Remove carefully with tongs and place on a clean kitchen towel to dry. Repeat for all dough portions as you prepare to assemble.
  8. Assemble the lasagna: Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Spread a little tomato sauce on the bottom of your lasagna dish. Lay down one layer of blanched pasta. Spoon over tomato sauce followed by dollops of the ricotta mixture, then sprinkle about 15 meatballs, pieces of sliced hard-boiled egg, mozzarella, and a good grating of Pecorino or Parmigiano Reggiano. Repeat layering until you have 5 layers of pasta with 4 layers of filling. For the top layer, cover with tomato sauce and grated Pecorino/Parmigiano; do not use mozzarella on top.
  9. Bake the lasagna: Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes until the top is golden and bubbling. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes to set before slicing and serving.

Notes

  • Making the ragu a day ahead enhances its flavor and eases the cooking process on assembly day.
  • You can prepare the pasta dough a day in advance; if doing so, wrap tightly and refrigerate, allowing it to come to room temperature before rolling.
  • If using ground beef instead of brisket, use it directly without blitzing.
  • Blanching pasta sheets briefly prevents them from drying out and helps with even cooking in the oven.
  • Allow the lasagna to rest after baking so the layers set for cleaner serving.
  • Crustless bread soaked in milk adds moisture and tenderness to the meatballs.
  • If you don’t have a pasta machine, rolling the dough by hand until very thin is an alternative but may be more labor-intensive.

Find it online: https://justsosavory.com/lasagna-di-carnevale-neapolitan-lasagna-recipe/