Traditionally lasagne is made with a meat rich sauce, layers of pasta sheets and a bechamel sauce flavoured only with a hint of nutmeg.
My take on lasagne is something very different! I like my meat sauce to be rich with tomatoes, herbs and wine and my white sauce to be flavoured with cheese, Dijon and nutmeg.
It's also traditional to include layers of bechamel in the lasagne, but I prefer to simply use it as a delicious topping, that goes beautifully golden as it cooks.
Lasagne is a family favourite, served with a simple green salad, garlic bread and a large glass of red!
For the Bolognese sauce
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 large white onion
1 heaped tablespoon of finely chopped fresh rosemary
3 cloves of garlic
500-600g beef mince
1 large carrot
200ml red wine
2½ x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
1½ heaped tablespoon of dried oregano
1½ tablespoon of sun-dried tomato paste
Seasoning
For the cheese sauce
50g butter
5-6 tablespoons of plain flour
400ml milk
250g mature cheddar + extra for grating on top
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
Pinch of nutmeg
Lasagne sheets
To make the Bolognese
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
- Peel and finely dice the onion.
- Finely chop the rosemary.
- Peel and grate the carrot.
- Peel the garlic cloves.
- Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large ovenproof pan, over a low to medium heat.
- Add the onion and rosemary to the pan and sauté until the onion is translucent.
- Crush the garlic and add it to the pan. Stir for 2-3 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic.
- Add the mince to the pan and increase the heat. Stir until there is no pink meat remaining.
- Pour in the red wine and let it bubble for a few minutes.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, sun-dried tomato paste, oregano and grated carrot to the pan. Stir well to combine.
- Season well, then stir again before bringing the mixture to the boil.
- Cover and place in a hot oven for 1 hour.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5-10 minutes.
To make the cheese sauce
- Grate the cheese.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over a gentle heat.
- Stir in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Now slowly add the milk, stirring all of the time.
- Once all of the milk has been added, use a whisk to ensure the sauce is lovely and smooth.
- Stir in the Dijon mustard and grate in a little nutmeg.
- Add the cheese and stir until it's melted into the sauce.
- Season with black pepper.
- Increase the heat slightly and stir for a few minutes until thickened. Set aside.
To assemble the lasagne
- Spoon a layer of Bolognese over the bottom of an ovenproof dish.
- Top with lasagne sheets, being careful not to overlap them.
- Spoon another layer of Bolognese over the lasagne sheets and continue with the layering until all of the meat sauce has been used (usually 3 layers).
- Place a final layer of lasagne over the meat sauce and then spoon over the cheese sauce. Spread evenly across the top.
- Grate some more cheddar over the top and then place in a hot oven for 45 minutes.
