Meatball Lasagna

Meatballs:: In bowl, whisk together egg, bread crumbs, 1/4 cup (50 mL) water, oregano, salt and pepper; mix in beef. Shape by rounded teaspoonfuls (5 mL) into balls. Bake on foil-lined rimmed baking sheet in 400°F (200°C) oven until no longer pink inside, about 12 minutes.

Tomato Sauce: Meanwhile, in large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; fry onions, garlic, carrot, celery, herb seasoning, salt and pepper, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and tomatoes, breaking up with potato masher; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.

Add meatballs; simmer until spoon scraped across bottom of pan leaves gap that fills in slowly, about 10 minutes.

Bechamel: Meanwhile, in separate saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; whisk in flour and cook, whisking, for 1 minute. Add milk, 1/2 cup (125 mL) at a time, whisking constantly; cook, whisking, until bubbly and thickened, about 15 minutes. Whisk in ricotta, Parmesan, salt, pepper and nutmeg.

In large pot of boiling salted water, cook lasagna noodles until almost tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain and chill in cold water; arrange in single layer on damp tea towel.

Without picking up any meatballs, spoon 1 cup (250 mL) of the tomato sauce into 13- x 9-inch (3 L) glass baking dish. Top with one-third of the noodles; spread with one-third of the remaining sauce and meatballs, then half of the bechamel sauce. Starting with noodles, repeat layers once.

Top with remaining noodles; spread with remaining meatball sauce. Sprinkle with Fontina and Parmesan cheeses. (Make-ahead: Let cool for 30 minutes; chill in refrigerator. Cover with foil and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Or wrap in heavy-duty foil and freeze for up to 2 weeks; thaw in refrigerator for 24 hours. Add 20 minutes to covered baking time.)

Cover with foil; bake in 375°F (190°C) oven for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until bubbly and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes.