Good Lasagne
Mince and Italian sausage browned properly in batches, red wine, and a bechamel with both parmesan and mozzarella in it. Four layers, one pan, ten minutes of resting before anyone touches it.
Serves: 6
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 10 minutes, plus resting
INGREDIENTS
500g beef mince
4 Italian sausages, casings removed
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup red wine
2 teaspoons dried Greek oregano
2/3 cup parsley, finely chopped
2 x 400g tins crushed tomatoes
250ml beef bone broth, or stock
8 fresh lasagne sheets
For the bechamel
100g butter
1/3 cup flour
1L milk
1 cup parmesan, finely grated
1 cup mozzarella, grated
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Heat an ovenproof pan over medium high heat. In a large bowl, mix the mince and sausage meat together. Cook in batches for 4-5 minutes, or until browned and crisp, then remove from the pan.
Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the onion, season and cook for 2 minutes until starting to soften. Add the carrot and celery and cook for 4-5 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for a further minute.
Return the meat to the pan along with the red wine and allow to reduce for 2-3 minutes.
Add the dried oregano and parsley, then pour in the crushed tomatoes and bone broth and reduce the heat to low. Bring to a simmer, then transfer to the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced. Place the ragu in a bowl and reserve the pan.
Meanwhile, for the bechamel, place a saucepan over medium high heat. Add the butter and, once bubbling, add the flour and stir to a paste. Cook for 1 minute.
Add the milk a little at a time, stirring after each addition. Continue stirring as the bechamel thickens, 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, add 1/2 cup of the parmesan and all the mozzarella, and whisk until combined. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Place the lasagne sheets into the water, cook for 1 minute, then gently remove.
To assemble, using the ragu pan, spread 1/4 cup of the bechamel over the base and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Top with 2 lasagne sheets, followed by a quarter of the ragu and 1/2 cup of bechamel. Repeat the layers 3 more times, finishing with a layer of bechamel.
Drizzle with olive oil and top with the remaining parmesan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden and bubbling.
Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
HINTS
Brown the meat in batches. Crowding the pan steams it grey and you lose all the crisp bits that make the ragu taste like something.
Blanching the fresh sheets for a minute stops them drinking the sauce dry in the oven.
Rest it for 10 minutes. Straight out of the oven it slides apart on the plate.
NUTRITION (per recipe total, serves 6 - guide only):
Energy: approximately 23700kJ (5660 calories)
Protein: 330g
Fat: 330g
Saturated fat: 150g
Carbohydrates: 330g
Sugars: 80g
Fibre: 20g
Sodium: 5000mg
This nutrition information is a guide only and may vary depending on brands, exact quantities, and ingredient substitutions used.