Ingredients
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2 tablespoons oil
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1 large onion, finely diced
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2 slices bacon, chopped
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2 garlic cloves, minced
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600 g beef mince, leanest you can buy
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1 (140 g) can tomato paste
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1/2 cup red wine
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1 (440 g) can chopped tomatoes, and their juice
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2 cups beef broth
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1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
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1/2 teaspoon dried basil
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1 pinch mixed pumpkin spice or 1 pinch freshly ground nutmeg
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50 g butter
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50 g flour
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600 ml milk
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50 g shredded parmesan cheese
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salt and pepper
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1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- Meat Sauce: Heat the oil in a large fry pan over a medium heat.
- Add the onion and bacon and cook until the onion is golden and tender.
- Add the minced garlic and cook a couple of minutes more.
- Add the mince and cook, breaking up with a fork, until the meat has all changed colour.
- Now add the tomato paste and "cook it out" for another minute or two before adding the wine.
- Allow the wine to reduce a little, before adding the remaining sauce ingredients.
- Simmer until reduced and thickened and a deep rich red/ brown.
- *You could call this"cooked" in 30 minutes, but I like to let it simmer about 2 hours, stirring regularly to make sure it's not catching.
- Add a little more broth or water if it looks like doing so.
- Cheese Sauce:
- Melt the butter, add the flour and stir well.
- Allow to cook gently for about 2 minutes, then add the milk all in one go, and whisk briskly until heated and thickened.
- Allow to cook a couple of minutes more on a simmer.
- Add the cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Assembly of the lasagna:
- Spread a little of the beef sauce across the bottom of your pan.
- Cover with a layer of beef sauce and drizzle about half a cup of cheese sauce over this-no need to be too particular.
- Cover with a layer of lasagna sheets.
- Repeat the beef sauce and cheese sauce two more times, then a final layer of sheets.
- Spread the remaining cheese sauce (there should be about 1 cup) over the last layer of sheets, and sprinkle with the shredded parmesan cheese.
- Bake in a moderate oven for about 1 hour.
- Allow to stand about 15 minutes before cutting into squares to serve.