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Looking to stay warm and keep busy? This restaurant’s unique lasagne is the perfect project.
There are lasagnes, and then there’s the iconic green duck lasagne at Melbourne’s Lagotto. If you’ve dined at the Fitzroy North restaurant, you might be familiar with the green pasta sheets, tinted from spinach, layered with confit duck leg ragu and parmesan bechamel. But this isn’t a regular lasagne, it’s a cool lasagne (IYKYK). It’s built tall and narrow rather than wide and flat, and then sliced and fried on both sides for guaranteed crispy bits, before being served on a foam made from Parmigiano Reggiano.
Sound good? Well, you’re in luck because Lagotto’s head chef Matteo Fulchiati has kindly shared the recipe – and he’s even tweaked it so it’s easier for us home cooks, which means our weekend plans are sorted. You’ll just need to start this lasagne a day ahead of serving.
If you’re not familiar with Lagotto, this Italian venue was opened in 2019 by the late Katie McCormack, and it quickly became an institution. Much of that is due to the warm hospitality that Katie instilled – now recognised with the annual Katie McCormack Young Service Excellence Award for rising hospitality stars in Victoria. “The hospitality when you walk through the door is something that you should feel immediately. We do our best to bring entertainment, guidance and an overall memorable experience to every guest,” says Matteo. “Our vibrant team will always go out of their way to ensure you’re still talking about dinner the next morning.”
But, of course, the cooking is the main attraction. “The food here is incredibly special – a beautiful balance of simplicity and technicality,” Matteo says. “Consistency is what helps us achieve great things, doing what we do everyday without compromise.” And the lasagne is no exception.
When it comes to pairing a wine with this dish, Matteo is a big fan of the classic match of duck and pinot. But if you’re after something to sip while you prep your lasagne, we think it’s hard to go past the Jim Barry Watervale Riesling. From South Australia’s Clare Valley, this wine is packed with citrus flavours of lime and orange, and notes of lime cordial and white florals – and you can snap it up for less than 20 bucks.
We also have a slew of other food-friendly wines to choose from at the bottom of the page. Plus, if you’re a My Dan’s member, right now these wines all come in at under $25 (and if you’re not a member, it’s free to join).
And while the recipe below might look overwhelming at a glance, each component is pretty straightforward and, unlike Lagotto, we’re using store-bought pasta. It’s the perfect dish if you have the time and want to look like you’ve gone above and beyond or if you’re simply keen to cook something truly delicious.
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Ingredients: Duck ragu
6 duck legs (marylands) 2 tbsp rock salt, for curing Olive oil 1 brown onion, diced 1 carrot, diced 3 celery stalks, diced 4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed 2 tbsp tomato paste 300mL red vermouth (like Cinzano Rosso) or dry red wine 1.5L chicken stock 1 bay leaf 3 sprigs thyme 1 sprig rosemary 1 tsp black peppercorns Small cinnamon stick (optional)
Ingredients: Parmesan bechamel
60g unsalted butter 60g plain flour 600mL milk, warmed 100g grated parmesan or pecorino Salt
Ingredients: Lasagne
375g fresh lasagne sheets 80g grated Parmigiano Reggiano 50g butter, for frying Handful of saltbush or sage leaves
Ingredients: Parmesan cream (optional)
150g grated parmesan 375mL milk 125mL thickened cream 10g dried porcini (optional)
Method: Duck ragu
The night before, season the duck legs generously with rock salt and refrigerate uncovered overnight. The next day, rinse well and pat dry In a large heavy pot over medium-high, heat some oil and sear the duck legs skin-side down in batches until deeply golden. Set aside, keeping a little of the fat in the pot (save the rest – it's great for roast potatoes) Sauté the onion, carrot, celery and garlic in the duck fat until softened Stir in the tomato paste and cook for a minute, then add the vermouth and reduce by half Return the duck legs to the pot, cover with chicken stock and add the bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, peppercorns and cinnamon. If you have muslin, tie the herbs in it, otherwise loose is fine Bring to a very low simmer, cover with a lid slightly ajar, and cook very gently on the stovetop or in a 150-degree oven for about 3 hours until the meat is falling off the bone Lift out the legs and remove the herbs. Pick all the meat, discarding skin and bones Blend the braising liquid and vegetables into a creamy broth (a stick blender in the pot is easiest), reduce until it coats a spoon, then fold the meat back through Season generously and set aside to cool
Method: Parmesan bechamel
Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and cook over low heat for 3-5 minutes until pale and biscuity Gradually whisk in the warm milk until smooth, then simmer gently for 5 minutes, whisking Take the pot off the heat, stir in the cheese and add a good pinch of salt. Press cling film onto the surface of the sauce and set aside to cool
Method: Lasagne assembly
This lasagne is built tall and narrow rather than wide and flat – a standard banana bread tin is ideal. Line it with baking paper, leaving overhang Start with a thin layer of bechamel, a scatter of Parmigiano and a trimmed pasta sheet. Follow with ragu, béchamel, Parmigiano and another pasta sheet. Repeat until everything has been used – aim for 7-8 layers of pasta. Finish with a plain sheet on top Cover with baking paper, seal tightly with foil and bake at 185 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove the foil straight away Cool to room temperature, then place a small board on top of the lasagne with a couple of tins on top to lightly weigh it down. Refrigerate like this until completely cold and set – ideally overnight, but at least 4 hours Once set, turn the lasagne out and slice into thick 2.5cm pieces – each slice shows off the cross-section of layers Brown the butter in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat and fry each slice until golden and crisp, about 3-4 minutes on each cut side. Fry the saltbush or sage at the last minute and serve on top
Method: Parmesan cream (optional)
Warm the milk, cream and porcini (if using) to just below a simmer – don't boil. Leave the porcini in the pot and steep for 10 minutes, then strain to remove Blend in the parmesan until completely smooth, then strain through a fine sieve. Keep warm – it should pour like a silky sauce, heavier than a froth but lighter than béchamel Pool the warm parmesan cream on each plate, lay a crisp slice of lasagne on its side in the cream and finish with the fried leaves
Matteo’s top tips
Okay, so, Matteo says this is a weekend project, but on the day of serving, it’s a cinch. “The ragu and lasagne happen a day ahead, but the final serve is a 10-minute fry. The chilled, uncut lasagne keeps for three days in the fridge, so it’s a great dish for entertaining.” Don’t cut any corners on the fridge time, though, or the lasagne’s structure isn’t going to hold up. “The overnight chill isn’t optional – it’s what lets you slice cleanly and fry the slices crisp without them collapsing.” Noted. At Lagotto, Matteo makes a spinach egg dough – anyone who’s eaten the dish at the restaurant will remember those green layers – but he says fresh, store-bought sheets will work perfectly. Speaking of the restaurant, the parmesan cream is usually a foam that’s charged in a whipping siphon. “If you own a cream whipper, strain the cream into it, charge with one cartridge and keep warm in a water bath,” he says. Otherwise, simply serve it as a cream. And if you can’t find saltbush? “Crispy sage is the perfect stand-in.”
