Beef Lasagna

Directions

• Preheat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C.
• In a large pan, heat the olive oil over a low heat. Fry the onion, carrot, celery and garlic for 5 mins, or until softened.
• Add the all the mince and fry on a medium heat until all the meat has turned brown. Depending on the quality of meat used, if there is excess liquid keep cooking the meat until this has reduced right down.
• Turn up the heat, pour in the wine and simmer until the wine has reduced.
• Stir in the tomato purée, tomato passata and stock. Add in the Worcestershire sauce and simmer for 15 mins, again until the liquid has reduced. Season to taste
• While the Ragu is cooking, prepare and make the Bechamel Sauce
• Heat a thick bottomed pan over a medium heat
• Add the milk, onion, bay leaf and peppercorns and gently simmer for approx 15 minutes.
• In another thick bottomed pan add the butter and let it melt down.
• Start to whisk in the flour until both butter and flour are totally combined. You now have a White Roux.
• You are not looking for too much colour here to make a creamy white sauce, so if the milk is not quite ready remove the roux from the heat.
• Once the milk has simmered for 15 minutes infusing all the flavours from the other ingredients, strain it into a separate vessel.
• Return the pot with the roux in to the heat rewarming if necessary and start to add 100 ml of the milk whisking all the time to prevent any lumps.
• Keep adding the milk at intervals until all the milk is combined with the roux.
• You must keep whisking well to avoid any lumps
• You should now have a nice smooth, lump free white sauce.
• Add the pinch of Nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste and stirring the sauce over the heat to bring it back to a soft simmer.
• Let the sauce simmer gently for about 20 minutes to cook out the flour but stirring frequently to avoid the sauce from catching on the bottom.
• Quick tip: If you feel the sauce has caught on the bottom or you see small brown specs appear as you stir, strain the sauce into a fresh
• Putting it all together
• Take ⅓ of the ragu, and line the bottom of the Lasagna dish, then cover with the pasta, and then the white sauce.
• Take ½ of the remaining Ragu and spread over the layer of sauce, top with pasta and then ½ of the remaining White sauce.
• Finally, Repeat the process with the remaining ingredients.
• Top with the Parmesan and mozzarella and place in the oven for 40-45 mins.
• You are looking for the finished dish to be golden brown on top, and bubbling around the edges.
• Serve with crunchy Garlic bread