Favourite beef lasagne

Name: Favourite beef lasagne
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 Tbsp Olive oil; 1 Onion, finely chopped; 2 cloves Crushed garlic; 500 g Prime beef mince (Main); 80 g Pancetta, cut into pieces; 2 tsp Flour; ½ cup Dry white wine; 1 can Chopped tomatoes, approx 400g; 1 cup Chicken stock; 1 Tbsp Tomato paste; 2 sprigs Thyme; 1 Bay leaf; 2 large handfuls Spinach, wilted, alternatively use silverbeet; 2 ½ cups Whole milk; 1 slice Onion; 1 Bay leaf; 2 Parsley stalks; 1 sprig Thyme; 6 Black peppercorns; 50 g Butter; ¼ cup Flour; 4 Lasagne sheets, cut to fit your dish, cooked; ½ cup Emmental cheese, grated; 1 drizzle Olive oil

for 4 people

Tam West

Kathy Paterson

Food writer and stylist.

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There is nothing new about a beef lasagne, but this is a tasty one and I like hanging out in a warm kitchen, so don’t mind the fact that it’s not a fast cook.

Meat sauce

2 Tbsp	Olive oil
1	Onion, finely chopped
2 cloves	Crushed garlic
500 g	Prime beef mince (Main)
80 g	Pancetta, cut into pieces
2 tsp	Flour
½ cup	Dry white wine
1 can	Chopped tomatoes, approx 400g
1 cup	Chicken stock
1 Tbsp	Tomato paste
2 sprigs	Thyme
1	Bay leaf
2 large handfuls	Spinach, wilted, alternatively use silverbeet

Bechamel sauce

2 ½ cups	Whole milk
1 slice	Onion
1	Bay leaf
2	Parsley stalks
1 sprig	Thyme
6	Black peppercorns
50 g	Butter
¼ cup	Flour

Lasagne

4	Lasagne sheets, cut to fit your dish, cooked
½ cup	Emmental cheese, grated
1 drizzle	Olive oil

Directions

For the meat sauce

Place the oil, onion and garlic in a heavy-based saucepan and place over a very low heat. Cook until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
Increase the heat and add the beef mince and pancetta. Break the mince up with a wooden spoon as it begins to brown. Sprinkle over the flour and mix well.
Pour in the white wine and allow to bubble up (this burns off the alcohol), then add the tomatoes with their juice, chicken stock, tomato paste and herbs. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and bring up to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 50-60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix through the silverbeet or spinach. Taste for seasoning.

For the bechamel sauce

Place the milk in a heavy-based saucepan with the onion, herbs and peppercorns. Place over the heat and bring up to scalding point. Remove and set aside for about 10 minutes to allow the flavours to mingle. Strain into a jug and discard the flavourings.
Wash and dry the saucepan. Melt the butter, then stir in the flour. Cook, stirring until you have a golden roux. Gradually stir in the milk and cook until the sauce is thick, smooth and shiny. Season with salt and ground white pepper.

Putting it all together

Heat the oven to 180C. Oil a medium-sized lasagne dish or similar. Mentally divide the bechamel sauce into four portions and the meat sauce into three. Line dish with one sheet of lasagne, then layer with bechamel sauce, then meat sauce. Continue in this way, finishing with bechamel sauce. Sprinkle with the cheese and drizzle with olive oil.
Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes until bubbling around the edges and deliciously brown on top.