This traditional recipe is a real crowd-pleaser
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 large carrot, chopped into 1cm cubes
- 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- 500 g17¾ oz minced beef
- 1 small glass red wine
- 400 g14 oz tinned chopped tomatoes
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 courgette, chopped into 1cm cubes
- 10 basil leaves
- 9 sheets fresh lasagne (each about 10 x 18 cm)
- 50 g1¾ oz cold, salted butter, cut into 1cm cubes
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the béchamel sauce:
- 100 g3½ oz salted butter
- 100 g3½ oz plain flour
- 1 litre full-fat cold milk
- 100 g3½ oz freshly grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ freshly grated nutmeg
Method: How to make Classic lasagne
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and cook the onion, carrot and celery for five minutes. Add the minced beef and continue to cook for a further five minutes, stirring continuously, until coloured all over. Season with salt and pepper and continue to cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally.
Pour in the wine, stir well and continue to cook for about five minutes until the wine has evaporated.
Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, courgettes and basil, lower the heat and continue to cook for an hour, uncovered, until you get a beautiful rich sauce. Stir occasionally. After about 30 minutes, season to taste.
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 180C/Gas 4 and make the béchamel sauce. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for one minute. Gradually whisk in the cold milk, reduce the heat and cook for 10 minutes whisking constantly. Once thickened, stir in half the parmesan with the nutmeg, season, and set aside to cool slightly.
Spread a quarter of the béchamel sauce in the base of a deep 2.2 litre ovenproof dish. Cover with three lasagne sheets, cutting them if necessary to fit the dish. Spread with half the meat sauce then top with a third of the remaining béchamel sauce. Cover with three more sheets of lasagne and then with the remaining meat sauce. Spread over half of the remaining béchamel sauce. Add a final layer of lasagne sheets and gently spread the rest of the béchamel on top ensuring that the lasagne sheets are completely covered.
Sprinkle over the remaining parmesan and scatter over the cubed butter. Grind some black pepper over the whole lasagne.
Cook on the lowest shelf of the oven for 30 minutes then place the dish on the middle shelf and raise the oven temperature to 200C/Gas 6. Continue to cook for a further 15 minutes, until golden and crispy all over.
Serve immediately with fresh salad, garlic bread or both!
Freezing note: Once the lasagne is assembled wrap it thoroughly with cling film and aluminium foil. Place in the freezer and save for up to 3 months (good idea to put the date on your container so you know when it's about to exprire!). When ready to use, defrost fully in the fridge before heating on the stove. If you're in a hurry, you can cook from frozen (but will take longer to cook). First cook covered at 160C/Gas 2 for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Then uncover and turn up the heat to 180C/Gas 4 for about 15 minutes or so to ensure the top is golden and the lasagne is cooked through. Alternatively, you can make the sauces for this lasagne and freeze them separately in plastic containers or freezer bags. When ready to use, defrost in the fridge and follow the above method to finish.
