Directions
- 1Finely dice the carrots.
- 2Finely dice the celery.
- 3Finely dice the onions.
- 4Finely chop the garlic.
- 5Add extra virgin olive oil to a stockpot.
- 6Add the mince to the hot oil and leave it alone to sear off on a high heat until it develops a beautiful crust.
- 7Break up the mince and stir it.
- 8Add tomato paste, salt, bay leaves, and garlic to the mince.
- 9Sauté on a medium-high heat for about 5 minutes.
- 10Add the diced celery, carrots, and onions to the pot.
- 11Add dried Italian herbs and chili flakes.
- 12Close the lid and turn the heat down to a medium flame, cooking for 15-20 minutes until the vegetables are soft and translucent.
- 13Add cumin, coriander, and chili powder.
- 14Cook these spices out for about 5 minutes, sautéing on a medium heat.
- 15Add tinned plum tomatoes and passata to the pot.
- 16Add water (1 can's worth).
- 17Close the lid and let it simmer on a low heat for 1-2 hours, stirring every 20 minutes.
- 18Melt the butter in a pan.
- 19Add flour to the melted butter, cooking for 3-4 minutes while constantly stirring to prevent burning.
- 20Turn the heat down, add 1 cup of milk and whisk until lumps are broken up.
- 21Add another cup of milk and whisk again until lump-free.
- 22Add the remaining milk and turn the heat up to medium, constantly whisking until thick like hot custard.
- 23Season the bechamel to taste with salt, pepper, and a tiny pinch of nutmeg.
- 24Spread a layer of meat sauce on the bottom of a baking dish.
- 25Place fresh pasta sheets over the sauce.
- 26Spread another layer of meat sauce on the pasta sheets.
- 27Drizzle bechamel sauce over the meat layer.
- 28Place more pasta sheets.
- 29Add another layer of meat sauce.
- 30Pour a large amount of bechamel sauce for the top layer.
- 31Top with freshly shredded cheese and a ball of fresh mozzarella.
- 32Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 20-25 minutes uncovered if using fresh lasagna sheets.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 kg beef or lamb mince
- 2 large onions
- 2 medium sized carrots
- 2 celery sticks
- 15 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 2 tins plum tomatoes
- 500 g passata
- 1 large bay leaf
- 1 tbsp dried Italian herbs
- 1.5 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1.5 tsp chilli flakes
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 1.5 tsp cumin powder
- 0.5 tsp chilli powder
- 200 g freshly shredded cheese
- 1 ball fresh mozzarella
- 1 handful Fresh parsley and coriander
- 100 g butter
- 4 tbsp plain flour
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1 pinch nutmeg
Equipment
Wüsthof Classic knifestockpotwooden spoonlidpanwhiskbaking dishaluminum foilmortar and pestleforkwhite bowl
Tips
- Finely dice or brunoise carrots, onion, and celery for the sofrito.
- Do not skimp on garlic; it enhances the flavor significantly.
- Sear the mince on high heat until a crust forms before breaking it up.
- Cook out the tomato paste to deepen the flavor and allow garlic aroma to infuse the meat.
- Sweat the vegetables down until soft and translucent before adding spices.
- Let the meat sauce simmer for at least one to two hours to allow flavors to meld.
- When making bechamel, add milk gradually and whisk constantly to prevent lumps.
- Do not overcook the bechamel as it will thicken further in the oven.
- Use fresh pasta sheets or if using dry, cover with foil during initial baking to ensure even cooking.
- Allow the lasagna to rest for 15-20 minutes before serving to keep the layers intact.
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