AuthorCarol RidehalghCategoryMane CoursesDifficultyIntermediatePreheat the oven to cool 150°C / 135°C Fan / Gas mark 2 / 300°F. Prepare the meat sauce: peel halve and finely chop the onions. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy-based casserole dish over low heat. Add the chopped onions, a pinch of sea salt and cook for 10 minutes stirring often. Add the lardons and herbs and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Peel, halve and remove the central stem from the garlic then chop finely. Add to the onions with the herbs and cook a further 5 minutes stirring from time to time. Add a couple more tablespoons of olive oil and turn up the heat. Add the minced beef to the casserole, breaking it up and stirring often until it is coated with the other ingredients and browned. Season well with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
Add the tomato purée stir in and cook for 1 minute. Add the passata, bring back to simmering point, put the lid on and pop into the oven. Set the timer for 30 minutes. Take the sauce out of the oven and give it a good stir. Remove the lid and return to the oven for 30 minutes to reduce the sauce. Check the seasoning and adjust accordingly.
Meanwhile, prepare the white/béchamel sauce: if you have time to infuse the milk for 20 minutes, it will have so much more flavour. If not go to the next step.
To infuse the milk: 1 onion, parsley stalks, 4 cloves, 1 bay leaf, 10 peppercorns and sea salt.
Stud the onion with the cloves and add to the milk with a couple of parsley stalks, the bay leaf, peppercorns and a good pinch of sea salt. Heat the milk through to just under simmering. Turn off the heat, put a lid over the milk and leave it to infuse for 20 minutes.
Strain the milk and discard the herbs/spices.
Now melt the butter in a non-stick pan over low heat. Pull the pan off the heat and stir in the flour. Return to the heat and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often, then pull off the heat.
Sieve the milk into a jug/pan then pour about 1/3rd over the ‘roux’ (flour and butter) and stir. Put back over the heat, stirring to a smooth paste. Off the heat add another 1/3rd and continue this way until all the milk is added and you have a smooth thickish white/ béchamel sauce. Whisk or sieve out any lumps. Taste and add more sea salt if necessary.
Turn the oven up to moderate, 180°C / 165°C Fan / Gas 4 / 350°F.
Assemble the dish whilst the sauces are still hot, they are much easier to spread.
Take an oblong lasagne dish approx 22cm x 32cm preferably with square corners.
Spread a thin layer of the meat sauce over the base of the dish. Layer over 6 lasagne sheets, (you may need to break one in half lengthways to fill in the gaps at the side).
Spread a thin layer of the white/béchamel sauce to cover the sheets of lasagne. Next a layer of the meat sauce, then lasagne sheets and finally a layer of the white/béchamel sauce.
Scatter the parmesan evenly over the white/béchamel sauce then tear up the buffalo mozzarella into pieces the size of a walnut and scatter over the parmesan.
Pop into the oven and set the timer for 45 minutes.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to cool 150°C / 135°C Fan / Gas mark 2 / 300°F. Prepare the meat sauce: peel halve and finely chop the onions. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy-based casserole dish over low heat. Add the chopped onions, a pinch of sea salt and cook for 10 minutes stirring often. Add the lardons and herbs and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Peel, halve and remove the central stem from the garlic then chop finely. Add to the onions with the herbs and cook a further 5 minutes stirring from time to time. Add a couple more tablespoons of olive oil and turn up the heat. Add the minced beef to the casserole, breaking it up and stirring often until it is coated with the other ingredients and browned. Season well with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
Add the tomato purée stir in and cook for 1 minute. Add the passata, bring back to simmering point, put the lid on and pop into the oven. Set the timer for 30 minutes. Take the sauce out of the oven and give it a good stir. Remove the lid and return to the oven for 30 minutes to reduce the sauce. Check the seasoning and adjust accordingly.
Meanwhile, prepare the white/béchamel sauce: if you have time to infuse the milk for 20 minutes, it will have so much more flavour. If not go to the next step.
To infuse the milk: 1 onion, parsley stalks, 4 cloves, 1 bay leaf, 10 peppercorns and sea salt.
Stud the onion with the cloves and add to the milk with a couple of parsley stalks, the bay leaf, peppercorns and a good pinch of sea salt. Heat the milk through to just under simmering. Turn off the heat, put a lid over the milk and leave it to infuse for 20 minutes.
Strain the milk and discard the herbs/spices.
Now melt the butter in a non-stick pan over low heat. Pull the pan off the heat and stir in the flour. Return to the heat and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often, then pull off the heat.
Sieve the milk into a jug/pan then pour about 1/3rd over the ‘roux’ (flour and butter) and stir. Put back over the heat, stirring to a smooth paste. Off the heat add another 1/3rd and continue this way until all the milk is added and you have a smooth thickish white/ béchamel sauce. Whisk or sieve out any lumps. Taste and add more sea salt if necessary.
Turn the oven up to moderate, 180°C / 165°C Fan / Gas 4 / 350°F.
Assemble the dish whilst the sauces are still hot, they are much easier to spread.
Take an oblong lasagne dish approx 22cm x 32cm preferably with square corners.
Spread a thin layer of the meat sauce over the base of the dish. Layer over 6 lasagne sheets, (you may need to break one in half lengthways to fill in the gaps at the side).
Spread a thin layer of the white/béchamel sauce to cover the sheets of lasagne. Next a layer of the meat sauce, then lasagne sheets and finally a layer of the white/béchamel sauce.
Scatter the parmesan evenly over the white/béchamel sauce then tear up the buffalo mozzarella into pieces the size of a walnut and scatter over the parmesan.
Pop into the oven and set the timer for 45 minutes.