Directions
- 1Cut an onion.
- 2Peel and cut the other half of the onion.
- 3Cut the onion into small pieces.
- 4Add pancetta to a cold pot on medium-low heat and fry until crispy and the fat has rendered.
- 5Add beef to the pot and fry it off until it has a nice color.
- 6Throw in the diced trio of vegetables (onion, carrot, celery) with a heavy pinch of salt and sauté for about 4 to 7 minutes until slightly soft.
- 7Add garlic and leave it to get friendly for a minute.
- 8Squeeze in tomato purée, mix it well, and cook off for 2-3 minutes.
- 9Pour in white wine (or red) to deglaze the pan, scraping all crispy bits off the bottom.
- 10Add plum tomatoes, beef stock, and break up the tomatoes as best as you can.
- 11Add all your seasonings, including Italian herb seasoning, parmesan rind, and fresh basil.
- 12Simmer the sauce for about 90 minutes until most of the water is gone and it's full of flavor, stirring occasionally.
- 13For the béchamel, add cubed butter to a pot on medium-low heat.
- 14Once the butter is melted, add flour and mix until it forms a paste.
- 15Cook the paste for a couple of minutes, then gradually add milk, mixing until fully combined and smooth after each addition.
- 16Season the béchamel with salt, black pepper, a pinch of nutmeg, and grated parmesan.
- 17Layer the lasagna in a baking dish, starting with a layer of meat sauce.
- 18Add a layer of white sauce over the meat.
- 19Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the white sauce.
- 20Place pasta sheets on top of the mozzarella.
- 21Repeat the layers, ensuring the top layer is pasta and béchamel.
- 22Cover the lasagna with tin foil and bake in a preheated oven at 170°C for about 15-20 minutes.
- 23Take the lasagna out of the oven, increase the temperature to 200°C.
- 24Remove the tin foil and top with more grated mozzarella.
- 25Bake again for another 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.
- 26Let the lasagna rest for 5 minutes before serving for a cleaner slice.
Ingredients
- 650 g beef mince
- 100 g cubed pancetta
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 sprigs celery diced
- 1 medium carrot diced
- 5 cloves minced garlic
- 3 tbsp tomato purée
- 150 ml white wine
- 350 ml beef stock
- 2 tins plum tomatoes
- 2 tbsp Italian herb seasoning
- 1 parmesan rind
- 1 handful fresh chopped basil
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch pepper
- olive oil
- 90 g cubed butter
- 90 g plain flour
- 850 ml milk
- grated parmesan
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- mozzarella
- pasta sheets
Equipment
potchopping boardknifespatulapotato masherovenbaking dishtin foil
Tips
- For the trio of veg, aim for a 2:1:1 ratio of onion, carrot, and celery.
- If using dried lasagna sheets, soak them in boiling water for 5 minutes before assembly.
- Cook the beef until it has a nice color and some crispy bits, not just grey.
- Deglaze the pot with white wine to scrape off all the crispy bits from the bottom for added flavor.
- Simmer the meat sauce for about 90 minutes until most of the liquid is gone and it's full of flavor; taste and adjust seasoning.
- When making béchamel, gradually add milk in quarters or thirds, mixing until fully combined and smooth after each addition.
- For clean slices of lasagna, let it sit for about 5 minutes before serving.
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