New Year’s Day Bison Lasagna
A yearly tradition in our house — rich tomato-bison sauce (no milk or cream), layered with pasta, a quick homemade béchamel, and plenty of cheese.
Prep: 45 min
Cook: 1 hr 30 min
Serves: 6–8
Oven: 375°F
Ingredients
Bison Meat Sauce- 2 lbs ground bison
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, finely chopped
- 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup dry red wine
- 14 oz tomato paste
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes or passata
- ¾ cup beef bone broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- Salt & black pepper, to taste
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 3½ cups whole milk, warmed
- 1½–2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- Pinch of nutmeg (optional)
- ½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Salt, to taste
- 1 lb lasagna noodles
- 16 oz whole-milk ricotta
- 16 oz fresh mozzarella
- 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Butter, for greasing the dish
Instructions
- Sauté onion, carrots, celery, and garlic in olive oil until soft.
- Add bison, season lightly, and cook until browned.
- Deglaze with red wine and simmer 2–3 minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, beef bone broth, bay leaves, and dried thyme. Simmer 45–60 minutes.
- Make béchamel: cook butter and flour, whisk in milk, simmer until thickened, then season.
- Assemble layers: sauce → noodles → sauce → béchamel → ricotta → mozzarella → Parm. Repeat.
- Bake at 375°F covered 30 min, uncover and bake 15–20 min. Rest before slicing.
More baked pasta comfort food:
Modern Baked Rigatoni w/ Chicken Sausage
