Lasagne
This is a simpler version of a Delia Smith recipe.
Time: 20 minutes preparation, 45 minutes to cook.
Serves: 4 to 5
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 100g finely chopped, smoked pancetta or smoked bacon
- 1 large clove garlic crushed
- 500g minced British beef
- 400g tin Italian chopped tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons sundried tomato paste
- 75ml red wine
- 1/2 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 rounded tablespoons chopped basil (30g pack)
- Salt and freshly milled black pepper
- 300 - 350g fresh lasagne sheets
- 200g mozzarella, diced
- 50g Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated
For The Cream Sauce
- 100ml double cream
- 850ml milk
- 75g butter, plus a little extra for greasing
- 50g sauce flour
- freshly grated nutmeg
- salt and freshly milled black pepper
Method
- Fry the onion in olive oil for a few minutes, then add the garlic and chopped pancetta.
- Add the beef mince and brown.
- Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine, basil and seasoning. Cook through, stirring regularly.
- Whilst this the meat sauce is cooking, preheat the oven to 180°C and make the cream sauce.
- Place the milk and butter with some seasoning in a saucepan and heat. Stir in the sifted flour. The sauce needs continual stirring with a hand whisk. Whisk over a gentle heat until the sauce thickens.
- Spread a third of the meat sauce in a casserole dish and cover with a quarter of the cream sauce. Sprinkle a third of the chopped mozzarella over the cream sauce and cover with sheets of lasagne pasta.
- Repeat this two more times.
- Finish with the final quarter of the cream sauce on top of the pasta layer and cover this with the grated Parmigianio Reggiano cheese.
- Bake in the over for 40-45 minutes, when it should be bubbling and golden brown on top. Leave to stand for 10 minutes before serving.