Beef Lasagne

Lasagne is the ultimate in comfort food. To me, ordering lasagne at an Italian restaurant is an accurate yard-stick for measuring the talent in the kitchen – after all a great lasagne is most definitely a culinary art form. It must be moist, with soft pasta, a rich meaty sauce, silken, creamy white sauce and stringy golden melted cheese. Finally, according to our ‘lasagne loving son’, it is crucial that lasagne not be ‘ruined’ with the addition of random layers of vegetables such as pumpkin or spinach!  

serves 6

what you need
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
1 kg beef mince
4 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup (250ml) red wine
700ml tomato passata
½ cup finely chopped oregano or basil
1 tsp sea salt
2 cups (500ml) béchamel (see basics page 36)
400g can diced tomatoes
500g lasagne sheets (preferably fresh not dried)
1/3 cup (40g) grated parmesan cheese
1/3 cup (50g) grated gruyere cheese
1/3 cup (60g) grated mozzarella

what you do
1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes to soften, stirring constantly.
2. Add the beef mince, increase the heat to high and cook until browned, breaking up any lumps with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
3. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, then add the wine and cook for a further 1 minute. Stir in the passata, herbs, salt and 1 cup (250ml) water. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat to low. Simmer covered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid and simmer for a final 30 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan forced). To assemble the lasagne brush a 30cm x 20cm x 6cm deep (or similar with a 12 cup capacity) ovenproof dish with oil. Spread the canned tomatoes over the base of the dish. Arrange a layer of lasagne sheets over the tomato, trimming to fit if necessary. Top with 1/3 (approx. 2 ½ cups) of the meat sauce then make another layer of lasagne sheets. Repeat meat and pasta layers two more times. Finish with a generous layer of béchamel and sprinkle with the three cheeses.
5. Place a sheet of non-stick baking paper, then a piece of foil over the baking dish (this stops the foil sticking to cheese). Bake for 1 hour. Remove the baking paper and foil, and cook for a further 15 minutes or until golden brown on top.

GF option: Use gluten-free pasta and gluten-free version of béchamel sauce.

Gruyère is a hard yellow cheese, named after the medieval town of Gruyères in Switzerland. It is sweet yet slightly salty, often described as creamy and nutty when young, becoming earthy and sophisticated as it matures. Gruyère cheese is generally recognised as one of the finest cheeses for baking, with its distinct yet not overpowering taste. A good cheese for melting, it is ideal for Croque Monsieur, fondue and French onion soup.

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