Antony Worrall Thompson gives the classic Italian pasta dish of traditional lasagne the masterclass makeover.
Ingredients
For the sauce:
- 125 g4½ oz streaky bacon, diced
- 150 ml5¼ fl oz good olive oil
- 2 onions, finely diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
- 5 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed with a little salt
- 2 tsp soft thyme leaves
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2x 400 g14 oz tins of chopped tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 2 tbsp anchovy essence
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1¾ kg3¾ lb minced beef
- 1 bottle of dry red wine, optional
- 2.4 L chicken, beef or lamb stock
- Salt and ground black pepper
To assemble:
- Olive oil for greasing
- 2 packets of ready to cook lasagne
- 2 tubs of cheese sauce, ready made from the supermarket
- 2 jars of puttanesca sauce
- 50 g2 oz grated Parmesan, to sprinkle
- 110 g4 oz grated Gruyere, to sprinkle
Method: How to make Traditional lasagne
Method for the sauce:
In a large heavy based saucepan, fry the bacon in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When the bacon is crispy and has released some natural fats, add the onion, carrots, garlic, thyme, bay leaves and oregano and cook over a medium heat until the vegetables have softened and taken on a little colour.
Add the tinned tomatoes, the tomato puree, anchovy essence and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine and continue to cook.
Meanwhile in a large frying pan, heat a little of the remaining olive oil and fry the mince in small batches until browned. While the meat is frying, break up any lumps with the back of a wooden spoon. Repeat until all the meat is used up. After each batch, add the meat to the sauce mix.
Deglaze the frying pan with some of the red wine, scraping any crusty bits from the bottom. Then pour this wine, the remaining wine and the stock into the meat pot. Bring it to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer, stirring from time to time, for about 2 hours. Season to taste. If the liquid reduces too much, top up with water or extra stock. When the meat is tender allow to cool, then refrigerate. When cold, lift off the solidified fat and discard, freeze the mixture in smaller batches.
Method to assemble the lasagne:
Take a medium sized baking dish and lightly grease it with olive oil. Arrange a layer of mince across the bottom of the dish, spread the pasta sheets evenly over the top, then cover with a little cheese sauce and then the puttanesca. Repeat this until all the ingredients have been used up, ending with a thick layer of cheese sauce and puttanesca.
Combine both cheeses and sprinkle them on the top of the finished dish. Bake in a medium oven for 45 minutes until golden brown.
