At the turn of the year, I told myself that I wanted to focus on recipe testing a few core classic dishes to absolutely perfect them. That, as you can imagine, involved a lot of recipe testing, rummaging through many cook books, miticulously weighing things, sourcing ingredients and, of course, a lot of eating! Lasagne is one of those dishes that, particularly here in the UK, is done so badly at times that I cringe for my Italian friends knowing fine well the pride they (rightly) have in their cuisine.
The key to getting this right is the resting and letting it settle once cooked. That way you can neatly portion it out and, most importantly, get that crucial crispy top. If you do have the time, make it a day in advance to achieve this. That way, it allows the starch from the pasta to settle and create a solid structure. You can then just gently reheat it. If you don't have that luxury of time, even 15-20 minutes rest can make a huge difference. Happy cooking and if you have any questions, don't heistate to reach out on Instagram (link in sidebar).
Ingredients (serves 4):
For the ragu:
500g beef mince (15-20% fat)
1x red onion, grated
1x large carrot, finely diced
2x celery sticks, finely diced
2x garlic cloves, grated
1tbsp sugar
1 tsbp red wine vinegar
1tbsp tomato puree (I prefer Cirio or Mutti)
500mls passata (Cirio or Mutti)
187mls red wine
1 tbsp dried oregano
Bunch of thyme
2x bay leaves
150mls chicken stock
Salt
Pepper
Butter or olive oil
For the bechamel:
1 rounded tbsp plain flour
30g butter
300mls full fat milk
75g parmesan
Nutmeg, grated
To assemble:
9x dried lasagne sheets
1x ball mozzarella, grated
75g Parmesan, grated
Few leaves of basil, shredded
Method:
1) First brown off the mince in a cast iron pot, reserve. If there is a lot of water, continue cooking until water is cooked off.
2) Next, lower the heat slightly and add a knob of butter to the beef fat. Add the sofrito (onion, carrot, celery) and sweat for 10-12 mins until almost jammy in texture. Then add the garlic and cook for a further 2 mins.
3) Now add the sugar and stir into the mixture. Next add the tomato puree and vinegar and cook for a minute. Add the beef back into the pot and mix well. At this point, season well with salt and pepper.
4) Add the red wine, then reduce that by half. Then add the passata and oregano and mix thoroughly. Lastly, add the stock, bay and thyme then bring to the boil. Reduce this down to a gentle simmer for around 1 1/2 hours, stirring regularly. This can be done a day or two in advance for a quicker meal.
5) While the ragu is cooking, make the bechamel. First, melt the butter in a pan then add the flour. Cook for a few minutes until smell of flour disappears. Then gradually start adding the milk, whisking as you go. Repeat until you have used all of the milk, season and add a few grates of nutmeg to taste.
6) Turn oven on to 170C just before assembling. When the ragu is cooked, begin assembling but spooning a layer of the meat in to the bottom of a rectangular baking dish (about a finger nail in depth ideally). Drizzle over a little of the bechamel, then grated Parmesan, mozzarella, black pepper and few pieces of shredded basil.
7) Place the lasagne sheets on top to fit. Repeat step six until ragu is used up.
8) For the top layer, again place lasage sheets to fit. Pour over a layer of bechamel until just covered. Cover with freshly grated Parmesan and a few more leaves of basil. Place onto an oven tray then into the oven for around 25-30 mins.
9) Once cooked as per pic, remove from oven and leave to rest for at least 20 mins before serving. This will make it easier to portion. Serve with garlic bread and a fresh salad.
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