Recipe: Lollo's Decadent Duck Lasagna

What’s not to love about a richly comforting lasagna? This baked pasta dish is almost as much an Aussie classic as it is Italian, and who better to give the dish a lush upgrade than a beloved Australian chef with Italian heritage.

Creative Culinary Director at Lollo, chef Adam D’Sylva, developed a special duck bolognese during one of Melbourne’s lockdowns. 

“People often go with beef and pork, or beef and veal, but duck makes it really luxurious,” he says. “I realized it would make a really good lasagna … and that’s how it came to be on this new menu.”

The well-known chef learned to make lasagna from his aunty and grandmother. Now he’s flipped the classic pasta dish to fit the menu at Lollo, the star restaurant at boundary-pushing W Melbourne. Lollo is all about celebrating Melbourne's multicultural heritage, remixing familiar dishes in unexpected ways. 

The luxurious duck lasagna is made using the rotolo technique, rather than layering the pasta sheets flat. This technique maximizes the crispy parts on top so no one needs to fight for a crunchy corner piece. “It’s one of those ugly delicious dishes,” d’Sylva says.

Each one is baked-to-order in Lollo’s pizza oven where flames give the dish a nice extra caramelization. Since most people don’t have a wood-fired pizza oven, this recipe has been adjusted for home ovens.

Here is Adam d’Sylva’s decadent duck lasagna recipe, adapted for home cooks. 

Make a reservation at Lollo to try the original dish at W Melbourne.

~ Ingredients ~

• 750g duck mince (ask your butcher, or substitute for pork or beef mince)
• 3 carrots
• 2 onions
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 leek, white part only
• 5 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 100ml extra virgin olive oil
• 100g tomato paste
• 3 x 400g cans whole peeled tomatoes
• 200ml red wine
• Black pepper
• 2 tbs oregano, ideally fresh
• 375g fresh lasagne sheets
• 100g mozzarella

BECHAMEL

• 1.2L milk
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cloves
• 5 thyme sprigs
• 1 onion, halved
• 80g unsalted butter
• 80g plain flour

PESTO

• 1 bunch basil, leaves picked (save 5-6 for garnish)
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 250ml extra virgin olive oil
• 55g finely grated parmesan
• 50g toasted pine nuts
• 1-2 tbs lemon juice

~ Method ~ 

THE SAUCE

In a food processor, blitz the carrots, onion, leek and celery until finely chopped. Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add the bay leaves, crushed garlic and finely chopped vegetables. 

Cook until it starts to brown (about 10 minutes), then add the duck mince. Make sure to break up any chunks with a wooden spoon and cook until the fat renders and all moisture has evaporated, about 10 minutes.

Next add the tomato paste and give it a minute to lightly caramelise before adding the wine, tinned tomatoes, ground black pepper and herbs. Bring the pot to the boil before reducing the heat to low and simmer and for 60 to 90 minutes until the sauce thickens and reduces.

THE BECHAMEL

Put the milk, thyme, bay leaf, cloves and onion in a pot over medium heat. Bring it to a simmer before turning off the heat. Leave the pot to infuse for 20 minutes or so, then strain.

While the milk is infusing, melt butter in a non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and stir, cooking until it becomes a light toasty tone. 

Add the infused milk in four batches, stirring constantly between each batch to remove or prevent lumps. Bring the pan to a simmer for 5 minutes to thicken and then season with salt and pepper.

PESTO

Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until finely chopped. Season with salt and pepper.

LASAGNE ASSEMBLY 

Preheat the oven to 200°C and grease a large, 2.5L baking dish. Since this will be a rotolo style lasagna the assembly is a little different. 

Take a lasagne sheet, spread a thin layer of bechamel, a layer of pesto and then a 1cm layer of duck bolognese. Carefully roll the layered sheet into a cylinder, then slice into three even pieces. Place the spirals in the baking dish so the swirl faces upwards. 

Repeat with the remaining pasta, pesto and sauce, but keep 2 cups of sauce, 1 cup of bechamel and ¼ cup of pesto aside to finish the dish. 

Spoon the extra duck bolognese around the sheets and between the rolls. Spoon the reserved bechamel on top and scatter the mozzarella, torn or grated. 

Place the dish on a tray and bake for 30 minutes. Cook for a further 10 minutes at a reduced temperature of 180°C to get the top nice and golden. Wait 15 minutes before serving. Serve with fresh basil leaves and the leftover pesto drizzled on top.

Alternatively, you can construct the lasagna by layering each sheet horizontally with 3 to 4 layers of each ingredient. Finish, bake and serve the same way.