Lasagna al Forno: Notes from the Recipe Card

If Mario's had one signature, it was the lasagna al forno. Regulars ordered it without opening the menu.

The ragù goes low and slow, hours not minutes, until the meat stops being pieces of meat and becomes texture. The béchamel is made fresh and stays loose enough to move between layers instead of setting like glue.

Layers stay thin. Too many cooks build a lasagna like a skyscraper, and every bite becomes the same bite. Thin layers mean each forkful gets pasta, ragù, béchamel, and cheese in proportion.

Then it rests. Cutting into a lasagna straight out of the oven is the fastest way to ruin twelve hours of work. Ten minutes on the counter and it holds its shape on the plate.