Family lasagna

Ingredients

Bolognese sauce

• Generous drizzle of olive oil
• 2 brown onions, diced
• 2 medium carrots, finely diced (optional)
• 2 stalks celery, finely diced (optional)
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1.5kg grass-fed beef mince
• 2 x 400g cans of crushed tomatoes
• ¾ cup (175ml) beef stock
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• ¼ cup (5g) chopped flat leaf parsley

Bechamel sauce

• 80g butter
• 6 tbsp plain flour
• 4 cups milk
• ¾ cup (100g) grated parmesan cheese
• Sea salt and cracked pepper

Lasagne sheets

• 250g dried lasagne sheets (more if your sauce makes 4 layers)
• Grated mozzarella cheese

Method

1. Heat a frypan on medium-high the add oil, followed by the onions and carrots and celery if you’re using. After 5 minutes, add the garlic and stir until tender. If veggies stick to the pan, add a small dash of water.
2. Push vegetables to one side of the pan, add the mince and stir until browned. Add the tomatoes, beef stock, thyme leaves and bay leaf and stir to combine. Simmer for 20 minutes, until most of the excess moisture has boiled off. Be sure not to dry the sauce out completely.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the parsley. Remove from heat while preparing the bechamel sauce.
4. Place a large saucepan on medium heat, add butter to melt then add the flour and stir until paste forms. Add half a cup of add milk, whisking as you go, until the paste is incorporated. Add more milk, continuing to whisk. Bring the mixture to simmer, whisking until the sauce has thickened. Stir in the parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Set aside.
5. Preheat oven to 180^oc (350°F). Grease a 20cm x 30cm oven dish. Cover the bottom of the dish with lasagne sheets. Spoon over one-third of the bolognese sauce to cover the lasagne sheets. Spoon over one-third of the bechamel sauce. Repeat twice.
6. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top of the final layer of bechamel sauce. Bake in the preheated oven for around 25 minutes or until golden brown on top. Allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Serves

This recipe serves 6 to 8.