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1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat.
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2
Season the shanks on both sides with salt and pepper, place in the pan and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side.
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3
Remove the shanks to a plate.
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4
Remove fat from the pan.
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5
Add the pancetta to the pan and cook until golden brown.
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6
Remove pancetta with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels.
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7
Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic to the pan and cook until soft and lightly golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
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8
Add the red wine, scrape the bottom of the pan and cook until completely reduced.
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9
Add the beef stock, diced tomatoes, thyme, rosemary and parsley and bring to a simmer.
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10
Add the shanks and 1/3 of the pancetta back to the pan, cover and transfer to the oven.
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11
Cook until the meat is tender and falling off the bone, about 2 hours.
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12
Remove the shanks to a cutting board and when cool enough to handle, shred the meat into bite-size pieces and place in a bowl.
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13
Strain the cooking liquid into a bowl.
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14
Place 3 cups of the cooking liquid into a large high-sided saute pan and bring to a boil over high heat.
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15
Cook until the liquid is reduced to about 3/4 cup.
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16
Add the shredded meat and the remaining cooked pancetta to the pan along with 1 cup of the tomato sauce, parsley and basil and stir to combine and just heat through.
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17
For the Ricotta Mixture:
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18
Stir together the ricotta, eggs, parsley, basil, cheese and salt and pepper in a bowl.
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19
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow flavors to meld.
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20
For the Tomato Sauce:
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21
Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add the onions and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes.
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22
Add the garlic and red chili flakes and cook for 1 minute.
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23
Add the tomatoes, bring to boil, season with salt and pepper and cook until the sauce is reduced and thickened, about 25 to 30 minutes.
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24
Stir in the parsley and basil.
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25
For the Bechamel (Mornay) Sace:
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26
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
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27
Whisk in the flour and let cook for about 2 minutes.
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28
Slowly whisk in 2 cups of the hot milk and continue whisking until the sauce is thickened and loses its raw flavor, about 5 to 7 minutes.
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29
Season the sauce with nutmeg, salt and pepper and whisk in the cheeses.
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30
If the sauce is too thick, whisk in some of the remaining milk.
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31
For Assembly:
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32
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
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33
Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with the butter.
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34
Ladle a thin layer of bechamel evenly over the bottom of the pan.
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35
Place a layer of pasta dough, cut to fit the inside of the pan on top of the bechamel and top the pasta with the ricotta mixture and spread evenly.
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36
Spread a thin layer of bechamel over the ricotta, sprinkle with a few tablespoons of Parmesan and some basil leaves.
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37
Top with another layer of pasta and spread the meat mixture evenly over the top.
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38
Ladle an even layer of bechamel over the Bolognese mixture, sprinkle with a few tablespoons of Parmesan and some basil leaves.
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39
Place the final layer of pasta dough over the meat mixture and ladle the bechamel over the top to completely cover the pasta and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of Parmesan.
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40
Place the pan on a baking sheet and cover loosely with aluminum foil.
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41
Bake for 20 minutes.
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42
Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F, remove the foil and continue baking until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, about 25 to 35 minutes longer.
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43
Remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes before cutting.
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44
Cut into slices and top with some of the tomato sauce, more grated cheese and chopped parsley and basil.
