Beef Lasagne

Ingredients

• 3 sheets fresh lasagne
• 50 g parmesan
• 100 g cheddar cheese
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 500 g extra lean steak mince
• 1 onion
• 400 g can chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• a few spring of thyme
• 1 beef stock cube
• 250 ml red wine
• 150 ml water
• Salt and pepper
• 25 g butter
• 25 g plain flour
• 250 ml milk
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cloves
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   --- Make the bolognese ---

2. 2

   Finely chop the onion

3. 3

   Heat half the olive oil (1 tsp) in a large saucepan, add the beef mince and cook until browned but not fully cooked through.

4. 4

   Remove the beef from the pan and set aside.

5. 5

   Heat the remaining olive oil in the pan and add the onion. Cook on a low heat for 5 minutes until softened.

6. 6

   Return the meat to the pan and add the remaining ingredients (400g can chopped tomatoes, 2 tbsp tomato puree, 1 beef stock cube, 250ml red wine, 150 ml water and a few springs of thyme). Bring to the boil and then simmer for about 15 minutes until the sauce has reduced.

7. 7

   Pre-heat the oven to 220ºC/200ºC fan.

8. 8

   --- While the bolognese is cooking, make the béchamel sauce ---

9. 9

   Pre-heat the oven to 220ºC/200ºC fan (NOTE - this has nothing to do with making béchamel sauce, I just find this is the right moment to turn the oven on to make sure it's hot when the bolognese and béchamel are ready)

10. 10

    Put the butter (25g) and plain flour (25g) in a small saucepan and cook on a low heat until the butter has melted. Stir together until fully incorporated.

11. 11

    Once the butter has melted, gradually add the milk (250ml). Stir to ensure that each addition is fully incorporated before adding more.

12. 12

    Once all of the milk has been added to the pan add the bay leaves (2 leaves) and cloves (4 cloves).

13. 13

    Stir/whisk continuously until the sauce has thickened to your desired consistency (I like to dip a spoon in and check if the sauce leaves a coating on the back when removed).

14. 14

    Season with salt and pepper.

15. 15

    Remove the bay leaves and cloves.

16. 16

    If the bolognese is't quite ready then decant the béchamel into a bowl or jug and cover with clingfilm, ensuring that the clingfilm is pushed down so it's in full contact with the surface of the sauce. This will stop a skin forming.

17. 17

    --- Build the lasagne ---

18. 18

    Grate the cheese (100g cheddar and 50g parmesan)

19. 19

    In a medium-sized, deep serving dish (mine is 26cm x 16cm) spoon in a third of the bolognese. Lay a sheet of lasagne on top. Spoon over a third of the béchamel and spread it evenly across the lasagne sheet. Then sprinkle over a third of the grated cheese.

20. 20

    Repeat 3 times until you have three layers.

21. 21

    Place into the oven and cook for 20 minutes until the cheese is golden brown.

22. 22

    Serve.