Lasagne, aka the taste of my childhood

I warn you, this post has a high emotional content :)

If I were to recall the best taste my mouth ever tasted, no doubts: the lasagne made by my babysitter. Besides being an amazing cook, she is also an incredible woman that over the years has become a second mother for me. I basically grew up above her kitchen table (literally: above the table. I liked to lie on the wooden table, no chances of moving me to the bed), watching her cooking. I am sure my love for food started back then (I was 11 months old!)

She makes the best lasagne in the world, seriously. She doesn't follow the original recipe, so her lasagne are not made with the ragù (bolognese meat sauce) but totally vegetarian.

I am sure many people could be disappointed by this choice, but not me, I actually think that the vegetarian version is lighter, softer, as opposed to the stone brick consistence that generally the traditional one has :)

I have never tried to reproduce that taste until last week. I was feeling inspired & nostalgic of that creamy taste that melts inside the mouth, and I decided to give it a try. Well, we were 9 and we almost finished all the two big trays that I made (with substantial help from my housemate)

LASAGNE
(2 trays)

for the pasta:
5 eggs
500 gr flour
a pinch of salt

for the tomato sauce:
a lot of good tomatoes (if it's too much tomato sauce, keep it for tomorrow's pasta)
3 garlic cloves
4 spoons oil EVO
basil

for the besciamella:
50 gr butter
50 gr flour
1 l milk
nutmeg

to assemble:
mozzarella cut in thin slices
parmigiano

First, make the pasta dough by mixing the ingredients until solid and elastic, then leave in the fridge to rest. Peel the tomatoes (30 seconds in boiling water will make the job easier), chop them in pieces and cook them with the garlic and the oil EVO. When ready, add salt, pepper and basil leaves.
Make the besciamella: melt the butter in a large pot, turn the fire off, add the flour and mix. Turn the fire on, start adding the milk while stirring. When it is boiling, turn the fire off, add nutmeg and salt.
Make the pasta layers with a pasta machine and, when ready, boil them for one minute in water. Assemble the lasagna on the tray: one layer of pasta, tomato sauce, alternating mozzarella/besciamella and parmigiano on top. Repeat it until ~2 cm close to the border of the tray and make the last layer with only pasta, besciamella and parmigiano. Some oil EVO on top. Bake for 45 minuter at 200 degrees + 5 minutes grill. Enjoy!