Lasagna

1h 45m
Serves 10
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Directions

  1. 1Finely dice or brunoise carrots, onion, and celery for the sofrito. Do not skip on garlic.
  2. 2Into a stock pot, add extra virgin olive oil.
  3. 3Add the mince and leave it alone to sear off on a high heat until it develops a beautiful crust.
  4. 4Once a crust has developed, start breaking up the mince.
  5. 5Keep the mince on high heat and sear with the lid off until the moisture has evaporated.
  6. 6Add tomato paste, salt, bay leaves, and garlic; sear this off for about 5 minutes on a medium-high heat to cook out the tomato paste and infuse garlic aroma.
  7. 7Add the sofrito (carrots, onion, celery), aromatics, chilli flakes, and dried herbs.
  8. 8Close the lid and turn the heat down to a medium flame, letting the veggies sweat down for about 15-20 minutes until soft and translucent.
  9. 9Add cumin, coriander, and chilli powder and cook these spices out for about 5 minutes, sautéing on a medium heat.
  10. 10Add the tinned tomatoes and passata, along with 1 can's worth of water.
  11. 11Close the lid and let the sauce simmer on a low heat for 1-2 hours, stirring every 20 minutes.
  12. 12While the sauce simmers, prepare the béchamel sauce: melt butter in a pan.
  13. 13Add flour to the melted butter and cook for 3-4 minutes, constantly stirring to prevent burning.
  14. 14Turn the heat down, add 1 cup of milk and whisk, breaking up any lumps.
  15. 15Add another cup of milk and whisk until lump-free, then add the remaining milk.
  16. 16Turn the heat up to medium, constantly whisking, and cook until the sauce is thick, similar to hot custard (do not overcook as it will thicken further in the oven).
  17. 17Season the béchamel to taste with salt, pepper, and a tiny pinch of nutmeg.
  18. 18Assemble the lasagna: spread a little sauce on the bottom of the dish to prevent sheets from sticking.
  19. 19Layer fresh pasta sheets (or dry, ensuring to foil if not pre-boiled).
  20. 20Continue layering sauce, pasta, and cheese, leaving a large amount of béchamel for the top.
  21. 21Top the lasagna with freshly shredded cheese and a ball of fresh mozzarella.
  22. 22Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 20-25 minutes uncovered if using fresh lasagna sheets.
  23. 23If using dry lasagna sheets, cover the dish with foil (ensuring it doesn't touch the cheese) and bake for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes.
  24. 24Garnish and serve.
  25. 25Let the lasagna rest for 15-20 minutes before serving to keep the layers intact.

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 kg beef or lamb mince
  • 2 large onions
  • 2 medium carrots
  • 2 celery sticks
  • 15 garlic cloves
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • 2 tins plum tomatoes
  • 500 g passata
  • 1 large bay leaves
  • 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 fresh mozzarella ball
  • 1 large handful Fresh parsley and coriander
  • 100 g butter
  • 4 tbsp plain flour
  • 4 cups whole milk
  • 1 tiny pinch nutmeg
  • fresh pasta sheets

Equipment

stock potlidfoilovenwhiskhot pan

Tips

  • Finely dice or brunoise carrots, onion, and celery for the sofrito.
  • Do not skimp on garlic.
  • Sear the mince on high heat until it develops a beautiful crust before breaking it up, this adds depth of flavor and gets rid of gamey smell.
  • Cook out the tomato paste and infuse garlic aroma into the meat.
  • No need to remove meat to sauté veggies separately; sweat them down with the meat.
  • Use complementary, not overwhelming, spices.
  • Let the sauce simmer for at least an hour, preferably two, stirring every 20 minutes.
  • Make fresh béchamel sauce instead of using jarred white sauce.
  • Use fresh herbs.
  • Add a little sauce to the bottom of the dish to prevent pasta sheets from sticking.
  • If using dry pasta sheets and not pre-boiling, foil the lasagna before baking to ensure they cook nicely.
  • Leave a large amount of béchamel for the end and top with freshly shredded cheese for an ooey gooey cheesy top.
  • Add a ball of fresh mozzarella for extra cheesiness.
  • Let the lasagna rest for 15-20 minutes before serving to keep layers intact.

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