Lasagne
Cook Time 2 hours
Servings 6-8
Ingredients
350g fresh lasagne sheets (about 8 sheets)
1 kg beef mince
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 carrot, grated
1 zucchini, grated
2 sticks celery, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
½ cup white wine
1 x 700g bottle of tomato passata
1 x 400g can of crushed tomatoes
4 sprigs of thyme, leaves picked
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper
2 large handfuls of baby spinach
Béchamel
80g butter
80g flour
1L milk
Pinch nutmeg
1½ cups grated Parmesan cheese and/or cheddar
¾ cup mozzarella, grated
Method
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan (the bigger the better) over medium-high heat and add the onion, garlic, zucchini, celery, carrot, bay leaves and cook for 8-10 minutes until softened, stirring regularly. Season with salt and pepper. Add the meat and cook until it changes colour then add the wine and bring to the boil.
Add the tomatoes and ½ the emptied passata jar of water (if needed) and another pinch of salt and some pepper. Cover with a lid and cook, stirring from time to time, for 1 -1½ hours until thick and rich. Remove the bay leaves and add the spinach and stir through. Turn the heat off.
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
To make the béchamel sauce, melt the butter in a medium pot over medium heat, add the flour and stir continuously for about a minute. Pour in a quarter of the milk, whisking vigorously to prevent lumps. Whisk in the rest of the milk. Whisk until the sauce comes to the boil and thickens. Season with the nutmeg, salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Stir in the ¾ of the parmesan, reserving the rest for the top.
Evenly spread a few ladlefuls of the meat sauce over the base of a 3-litre baking dish. Drizzle over a few spoonfuls of the cheese sauce and a sprinkle of mozzarella. Add lasagne sheets in one single layer covering the sauce. Spread another few ladlefuls of the meat sauce and repeat the layers until you have filled the dish ¾ of the way up. Finish with the cheese sauce and top with the reserved cheese.
Place a piece of foil over the lasagne (ensure it is not touching the cheese) and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for a further 20 minutes until a golden crust forms. Remove from the oven and rest for at least 20 minutes to ensure the lasagne sets before serving.