At Chicago’s il Porcellino, the team serves classic Italian-American comfort fare that spans an array of regions and flavors, resulting in cult-followed favorites like prime beef meatballs, grilled calamari arrabiata, cacio e pepe, and chicken parm. Still, it’s in the middle of the menu where diners can find one of this restaurant’s most prized orders: The baked burrata lasagna.
The dish, which stacks seven layers of housemade pasta with prime-beef Bolognese, is a close play on the classic but with a few choice changes—namely when it comes to cheese. The kitchen takes an updated approach by swapping in asiago for the traditional ricotta, then adding sizeable dollops of burrata atop it all.
According to the team, those variants can make all the difference. “The asiago cream adds a rich, velvety texture, while the burrata imparts an overall decadence to the dish,” notes general manager Natasha Bagdocimo.
As with many of the menu items, this one was a collaborative effort. Rich Melman, founder of Lettuce Entertain You, the hospitality company behind 120 restaurants including il Porcellino, liked the idea of multiple layers for their take (as opposed to the classic three or four), while Lettuce Entertain You president R.J. Melman had the thought of topping it all off with one of Italy’s most beloved traditions: burrata. From there, the handiwork speaks for itself—towering layers that are also met with fontina cheese and il Porcellino’s signature marinara sauce.
The restaurant offers the dish à la carte and ready to go, but for those looking to roll up their sleeves (even slightly), there’s also the option for the Burrata Lasagna Kit, a chance to partially prep the plate at home. Assemble and bake a pan of the lasagna while enjoying other elements of the family meal, including meatballs, focaccia, tiramisu, and a bottle of Chianti.
The most important aspect to keep in mind when prepping and baking? “Lots of layers so that the lasagna sits tall,” notes Bagdocimo, who adds a few more insider tips. “Aim for caramelized edges, and be generous with the burrata—it adds a newfound level of richness to the crowd-pleasing pasta.”
Burrata Lasagna
Serves 4 – 6
Ingredients
For the Burrata Lasagna:
One 22–28-oz. jar homemade or store-bought marinara sauce, plus more for serving
5 sheets Fresh Pasta Dough (see below) or 1 pkg. store-bought lasagna noodles
5 cups Bolognese Sauce (see below) or 2 jars store-bought Bolognese
5 cups Asiago Cream (see below)
5 cups shredded fontina cheese
8 oz. fresh burrata, such as Di Stefano brand
For the fresh pasta dough (Makes 5 full pasta sheets):
3 cups King Arthur “00” (double-zero) fine flour, plus more as needed
3 egg yolks
Water (as needed)
For the Bolognese sauce (Makes 8 cups):
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 lbs. ground prime beef
4 oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter, cubed
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
Two 28-oz. cans crushed tomatoes with juices (preferably Alta Cucina brand)
½ cup tomato paste
For the asiago cream (Makes 5 cups):
4 cups (1 qt.) heavy whipping cream
2 cups (16 oz.) shredded asiago
2 cups (16 oz.) shredded parmesan cheese
4 oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. finely chopped garlic
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
METHOD
Burrata Lasagna
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. In a 4-inch deep casserole dish, evenly spread a thin layer of marinara sauce on the bottom.
- Place 1 sheet of pasta on top, then evenly spread with 1 cup Bolognese.
- Using a piping bag, pipe approximately 1/5 of the asiago cream over the Bolognese; sprinkle with 1 cup fontina cheese.
- Repeat the process 4 more times, ending with the fontina cheese, to create 5 layers in total.
- Cover the pan with plastic wrap, then wrap with aluminum foil. Bake the lasagna in the oven for 45 minutes.
- Remove from oven and discard foil and plastic wrap. Turn on the oven’s broiler.
- Tear the burrata into medium pieces and evenly distribute over the lasagna.
- Broil the lasagna, ensuring that it does not burn, until the burrata is melty and golden brown, about 3 – 5 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.
- To serve, warm up marinara sauce and spread on each plate before topping with a generous portion of Burrata Lasagna.
Fresh Pasta Dough
- Place the flour in a mound on a clean work surface or in a medium bowl, making a well in the center. Add egg yolks, lightly breaking them up.
- Using your fingers or a fork, gently stir the yolks from the middle of the well outwards, gradually adding more flour bit by bit into the egg.
- Add water as needed to form a dough that just comes together and is not too sticky nor too dry.
- Form dough into a ball and knead on a lightly floured work surface, adding more flour as needed. Continue kneading until dough is smooth and shiny, about 5 – 10 minutes.
- Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
- Sprinkle the work surface with more flour. Divide the pasta in 5 equal pieces. Using a rolling pin or pasta machine, roll out each piece of dough into 1/8”-thick sheets of the same size. Trim each sheet to fit your lasagna pan.
Tip: Cover each sheet of pasta with a slightly damp paper towel until ready to use so it doesn’t dry out.
Bolognese Sauce
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking up meat, until lightly caramelized, about 6-8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove beef from pot; reserve. Wipe out the pot.
- Add butter, carrots, onion and garlic to pot; cook until onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. Stir in rosemary and reserved beef; season with salt and black pepper.
- Pour in crushed tomatoes and stir to combine. Bring to a rapid simmer and cook 10 minutes.
- Add tomato paste and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, stirring occasionally until thickened, about 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat; season to taste with salt and black pepper. Let cool and reserve for assembling the lasagna.
Tip: Since the lasagna recipe calls for only 5 cups of Bolognese sauce, toss the remaining 3 cups with cooked pasta or potato gnocchi, then top with Pecorino and chopped flat-leaf parsley for a filling second dish.
Asiago Cream
- In a large saucepan, bring the cream to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Add in the asiago and parmesan cheeses, butter, garlic, salt, and pepper. Whisk vigorously over medium-low heat until the ingredients are fully incorporated and smooth.
- Remove from heat. Let cool to thicken before assembling the lasagna.
Tip: If you don’t have a piping bag, use a gallon-size resealable plastic bag with the tip cut off.