Lasagne is one of those dishes that is always a favourite. Lean beef mince, cooked in a thick tomato sauce and then layered with a rich bechamel sauce, lasagne sheets and abundant parmesan cheese is transformed into a satisfying and delicious meal.

The meat sauce can be prepared ahead and so the time needed to prepare the lasagne can be made shorter. With all the ingredients at hand it is an easy dish to prepare.

Classic Lasagne

Ingredients:

Meat Sauce

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small knob of butter
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 1/2 kg of lean beef mince or even pork and veal mince
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp chicken/veg stock powder
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 750 ml bottles of tomato puree
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1 sprig rosemary (chopped finely)
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bechamel Sauce:

• Pre cooked lasagne sheet
• 1 cup grated Grana Padano parmesan cheese
• 1 L milk
• 120 g butter
• 2/3 cup plain flour
• salt and ground black pepper
• pinch of nutmeg

Lasagne:

• 250 g Pre cooked lasagne. I have used Barilla Lasagne all’uovo Bolognesi
• 1  750ml bottle of Tomato passata tomato puree
• 1 cup grated Grana Padano parmesan cheese
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Meat Sauce

1. In a large wide saucepan add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the knob of butter and heat on  medium.
2. When the butter is melted add the chopped onion and cook on medium low for 6 minutes till translucent.
3. Increase the heat to high and add the mince, browning and separating it well.
4. Add the bottle of tomato puree, the tomato paste, 1 1/2 cups of water and mix well.
5. Add the red wine, and stir the stock powder.
6. Season with the salt and ground black pepper and add in the bay leaf and chopped rosemary.
7. When the sauce begins to boil, lower the heat to low and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
8. Stir the mixture occasionally checking that the liquid has not evaporated too much. A moist liquid sauce is required rather than a dry one because the pasta will be added half cooked and will need the extra liquid in the sauce to complete cooking. So add a little more water if needed.
9. When it is cooked set the sauce aside.

Bechamel Sauce

1. Heat the milk till nearly boiling and set aside
2. In a heavy based deep pan melt the butter on a low heat till bubbling
3. Remove from the heat then make a roux by adding the flour, mixing well and season with salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute
4. Using a whisk, add the milk all at one time whisking well to dissolve the butter roux
5. Keep stirring over a medium heat until the mixture thickens and comes to the boil then lower the heat and stir for one minute
6. Take off the hotplate, stir in a cup of grated parmesan cheese,  a pinch of nutmeg and cover

Lasagne

1. Pre heat oven to 180º C F and use a standard Lasagne baking dish
2. Spread some of the meat sauce over the base of a lasagne dish
3. Place a layer of lasagne sheets across the bottom of the dish horizontally.
4. Spoon some bechamel sauce over the lasagne sheets and spread evenly across the sheets and into to corners well with a spatula
5. Drop spoonfuls of meat sauce across the bechamel making sure to put some into the corners
6. Grind black pepper over the layer and sprinkle over some grated parmesan cheese.
7. Continue alternating layers of meat sauce, bechamel and lasagne sheets in this manner until the dish is filled
8. End with a layer of bechamel and drop small amounts of tomato sauce across the layer.
9. Grind a whisper of black pepper and a good sprinkling of grated parmesan over the top of the bechamel
10. Place dish in the oven and cook for 30 minutes
11. Cover loosely with a piece of foil and bake for another 10 minutes
12. Set aside for at least 10 minutes before cutting into pieces and serve with a good mixed green garden salad