Carnival Lasagne: Traditional Neapolitan Recipe

Carnival lasagne is a traditional first course. Layers of pasta holding a riot of ingredients: meat sauce, meatballs, sausage, mozzarella and cheese. Simply perfect for celebrating the most joyful feast of the year at the table.

INGREDIENTS

• 500 g durum wheat semolina lasagne sheets (no eggs)
• 300 g of mozzarella
• 300 g ricotta
• 300 g pork loin
• 200 g sausage
• 2 eggs
• 1 can of tomato passata
• 50 g pancetta
• 90 g butter

• 60 g grated grana cheese + extra for the final layer
• breadcrumbs
• 1 glass of red wine
• 1 onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 stick of celery
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt
• black pepper
  These delicious Carnival lasagne are a classic first course of Neapolitan culinary tradition. The recipe presented here has a few variations compared to the historic Neapolitan version, in which 'cervellatine' were used — special sausages made with cured pork, lard and lamb intestine.One of the features that sets this lasagne apart from the more famous Lasagne alla Bolognese (Bolognese-style lasagne) is the type of pastry sheet used. In this case, in fact, a durum wheat semolina pastry is used, without the addition of eggs. In Naples, Carnival lasagne is made all year round, but it's traditionally Shrove Tuesday ('martedì grasso') that sees it take pride of place on family tables.As with most recipes from Italy's priceless culinary heritage, there are several variations. In some versions, the layers of lasagne are uniform, while in others they differ from one another. You can proceed according to your own preferences, since the final result will be wonderful either way.This dish can be considered a complete meal, given the abundance and variety of ingredients used. It goes without saying that this lasagne is even more delicious enjoyed the day after it's made, allowing the flavours to blend and intensify. Treat yourself to this culinary delicacy and let yourself be won over by its unmatched richness and goodness, an undisputed symbol of Neapolitan culinary art.HOW TO PREPARE: CARNIVAL LASAGNE
• To make the Carnival lasagne, start by preparing the sauce and cooking the pork loin. This takes 3 hours, so start well ahead of time. In a saucepan, melt the butter and gently cook the chopped carrot, onion, celery and pancetta for a few minutes. Add the meat, brown it over a high heat, splash it with half a glass of wine and let it evaporate. Add the tomato, the remaining wine, salt and pepper, and cook covered over a low heat for three hours.
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• Remove the meat, chop it with a knife and put half of it back into the sauce.
• Put the other half in a bowl with an egg, two tablespoons of grated cheese and one of breadcrumbs. Knead well with your hands and shape into small meatballs, which you'll fry in very hot oil. Once golden brown, transfer them to drain on kitchen paper.
• In a small pan, melt a knob of butter and cook the sausage in it. Once it's nicely browned on all sides, remove it from the heat. Let it cool slightly, then remove the skin and cut it into slices.
• Blend the ricotta into a cream together with an egg, the remaining grated cheese, salt and pepper.
• Boil the lasagne sheets in lightly salted boiling water. Even if you're using pasta sheets that don't need to be pre-boiled, we suggest dipping them in hot water to soften them, which will make it easier to manage bulkier ingredients like the meatballs between the layers. Arrange the sheets in layers in a buttered baking dish, spreading a little ricotta, sauce, small meatballs, sausage and half of the sliced mozzarella between each layer. On the final layer of lasagne, spread the cheese, the remaining mozzarella and the sauce.
• Bake for twenty minutes in a preheated oven at 180°C. Take the Carnival lasagne out of the oven, let it settle for a few minutes and serve it piping hot.