Beef Lasagna with Bechamel
One of the best lasagna recipes you could make. This is not your ordinary beef lasagna, this is a restaurant quality dish made right in your own home. It is the cheesiest and most flavourful lasagna you will ever have.
Ingredients
For the Ragu:
- 2 kg of Beef Mince
- 3 carrots peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 3 large white onions sliced or diced
- 1 head of garlic halved skin
- small bunch of Rosemary & Sage
- 300 ml of Red wine
- 2 Tablespoons off tomato paste
- 2 jars of Passata & the equivalent of water
- Salt & Pepper
- oil for fgrying around 2 tbsp
For the Bechamel:
- 100 g of Butter
- 100 g of flour
- Salt & pepper
- 1/2 tsp of Nutmeg
- 600/650 ml of Milk
- 60/80 g of Freshly grated Parmesan or gruyere
For layering:
- 2 balls of mozzarella torn up
- 250 g lasagna pasta sheets
- extra parmesan
Instructions
- Begin by preparing all ingredients, including removing the mince from the fridge so it reaches near enough to room temp ( this prevents the meat from sweating when it hits the pan
- Lightly season the mince
- In a large pan /pot heat the oil ( medium heat) and add all of the veg, herbs and season it.
- Reduce the heat, cover the pot and let the veg sweat until soft..... stir occasionally for around 8 mins
- Heat a separate non stick pan, leave it dry ( no oil ) and sear the mince until it gets slightly brown on each side do not stir it a lot
- Tip the mince into the veg and stir to combine let it "get to know each other" for around 4 mins
- Then turn up heat slightly and pour in wine let it simmer for a few mins before adding the paste
- Make sure that you give each stage a few minutes to cook before adding the next step
- Finally adding the passata followed by the water.
- Bring the pot up to the boil ( stirring continuously) then turn it right down to simmer. Cook it on a low simmer for anywhere between 1 1/2 to 2 hours
- When the ragu is almost ready you can prepare the bechamel
- Preparing bechamel: In a large heavy bottomed sauce pan melt your butter on a low heat
- Stir in the flour and cook for around 1.5 mins
- Slowly pour in the milk, whisking all the time to prevent lumps. Add in nutmeg and season to your taste
- Bring it just up to a simmer for around 5 mins then take it off the heat and stir in cheese
- Keep it in a warm place until you begin the layering process.
- The layering: Allow the ragu to cool slightly put the pasta sheets in cold water to slightly soften them.*
- Spread a layer of ragu on the bottom of tray
- Followed by a layer of bechamel sprinkle some parmesan and torn up mozzarella on each layer of bechamel
- Then a thin layer of pasta, do not layer pasta sheets on top of one another
- Continue the process until you have fill the tray, finishing with a thick layer of bechamel and lots of grated Parmesan / mozzarella / gruyere
- Bake at 180 degrees for 30/40 mins
Notes
* Skip this step if you are using fresh lasagna sheets.