Italian-American lasagna with sausage ragu, homemade ricotta and bechamel

Soak the oven-ready noodles in lukewarm water while preparing everything else, so they do not soak up the sauce and leave it dry.

For the ragu (made beforehand): brown and break up the Italian sausage and ground beef in olive oil; add diced onion, diced carrot and minced garlic, a big splash of dry red wine and a can of whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes; simmer with a couple of parmesan rinds.

Preheat a pan over relatively low heat for even heat. Melt the butter, whisk in the flour and cook gently just until the raw flour aroma goes, without browning.

For ricotta: heat milk that is starting to sour gently in a saucepan, stirring, until curds form on top and the whey separates, around 160 to 170 degrees; drain the curds in a fine mesh strainer. The whey can be saved for bread or pizza dough.

Thin the ricotta with a touch of yogurt (or heavy cream) and a little milk to a loose, saucy consistency.

Add about two cups of milk to the roux a couple of tablespoons at a time from a measuring cup, whisking until homogeneous before each addition so it does not clump.

Season with a pinch of salt and whisk as it thickens; grate in about a quarter teaspoon of nutmeg on a microplane.

Once the bechamel is bubbling at the edges, at its thickest, add about half a cup of shredded queso Oaxaca, turn the heat to the lowest setting and let residual heat melt it so it does not turn stringy.

Drain the noodles. Spread a little meat sauce in the bottom, then layer noodles, sauce and dairy (ricotta or bechamel), repeating, and finish the top layer with bechamel so all the noodles are coated.

Wrap in foil and refrigerate overnight, about 18 hours.

Bake uncovered at 375 for about 45 minutes, until brown and puffy.

Wait about 15 minutes before cutting, to let it set.