Recipes - Beef Lasagne

Beef Lasagne

Serves Four
180^oC, Prep time: 60 min, Cook time: 45 min.

I loved how this lasagne turned out, so I thought I would share the recipe.


Ingredients:

Beef Ragu:

2-3 carrots, sliced
1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, diced
500g beef mince
300mL red wine
100mL beef stock
1 can of chopped tomatoes
dried oregano
dried rosemary
salt
pepper

Béchamel Sauce:

500mL milk
2 bay leaves
50g butter
50g flour

Lasagne:

Dried pasta sheets
2 mozzarella balls, grated
grated cheddar cheese

Recipe:

Ragu: Heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry the onion, garlic and carrots until the onions have softened. Then add the mince and continue frying until browned. To this add the red wine, stock, tomatoes, herbs, salt and pepper to taste and simmer for at least 45 minutes (longer is better) until the sauce is rich and has reduced. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Béchamel: While the ragu is cooling, prepare the white sauce. Melt the butter in a heavy-based pan and add the flour, stirring into a paste. While stirring cook the paste for two minutes. Add the milk slowly, a little at a time, stirring to combine it with the paste - this will avoid forming lumps. When the milk is completely added, bring to the boil while stirring. Once boiling remove from the heat and allow to cool. Preheat the oven to 180^oC.

Lasagne: When both the ragu and béchamel have cooled, stir the grated mozzarella into the béchamel. Now, pour half the ragu into the base of your oven-proof dish and cover with dried pasta sheets. Carefully pour over half the béchamel, and top this with pasta too. Add the remaining ragu, top with pasta, pour over the remaining béchamel and top with the grated cheddar. Place in oven and wait until the top is golden and inviting. Then eat! Serve with salad or garlic bread or even another slice of lasagne.

Not the prettiest dish, but very tasty!