A slow-simmered beef ragù, silky white sauce and a golden cheese top. The one to make for a crowd.
Lasagne takes a little time, but most of it is the ragù bubbling away on its own. Make it on a Sunday and you will have dinner for eight, or a few portions in the freezer.
Give the lasagne 10 minutes out of the oven before you cut it. The layers settle, and you get neat squares instead of a landslide.
The recipe
Ragù
Ragù
Ragù
Ragù
Ragù
Ragù
Ragù
Ragù
Ragù
Ragù
Ragù
Ragù
Ragù
White sauce
White sauce
White sauce
White sauce
White sauce
To assemble
To assemble
To assemble
For the ragù, heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion, carrot and celery for 10 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Turn up the heat, add the mince and brown it for 8 minutes, breaking it up as it cooks. Stir in the tomato paste for 1 minute, then add the wine and let it bubble for 2 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, water, oregano, salt and sugar. Simmer, partly covered, for 40 minutes until thick.
For the white sauce, melt the butter in a pot, whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until thick. Season with the nutmeg and salt.
Heat the oven to 180 °C. Spread a thin layer of ragù in the dish, then layer pasta sheets, ragù and white sauce. Repeat three times, finishing with white sauce, then the mozzarella and parmesan.
Bake for 40 minutes until golden and bubbling. Rest for 10 minutes before cutting.
Where to trust your instinct
The ragù thickness. It should be thick enough that a spoon dragged through it leaves a trail. Too wet and the lasagne slides apart; too dry and the pasta stays hard.
Using no-precook lasagne sheets? Make the ragù a little wetter by adding an extra 125 ml water.
Assemble up to 24 hours ahead and keep it in the fridge. Add 10 to 15 minutes to the baking time.
Keeps for 4 days in the fridge. Freeze portions for up to 3 months.
Approximate values, calculated per serving. Fibre 4 g · Sodium 820 mg.
