This Classic Italian Lasagne Ticks All The Right Boxes.
Learn how to make the most fantastic lasagne recipe with easy-to-follow instructions & steps. When making lasagne, quite a few steps can go wrong, but I’ll run you through every little detail to ensure you have complete confidence in creating this great Italian classic.
Lasagne
Ingredients
Meat Sauce
- 2 Tbsp (40ml) - Olive Oil
- 2 - Brown (Yellow) Onions, Diced
- 6 - Garlic Cloves, Diced or Minced
- 1 - Celery Rib, Diced
- 3 - Carrots, Diced
- 6g (0.2oz) - Fresh Oregano, Chopped
- 3 Sprigs - Fresh Rosemary, Chopped (Leaves Only)
- 4 Sprigs - Fresh Thyme, Chopped (Leaves Only)
- 10g (0.35oz) - Fresh Basil, Chopped (Leaves Only)
- 230g (8.1oz) - Sundried Tomatoes, Roughly Chopped (Optional)
- 220g (7.7oz) - Streaky Bacon, Diced
- 500g (1.1lb) - Beef Mince
- 500g (1.1lb) - Pork Mince
- 300ml (10.1floz) - Red Wine (See Notes)
- 1.2kg (2.1lb) - Canned Diced Tomato
- 180g (6.2oz) - Parmesan Cheese, Freshly Grated
- 350g (12.3oz) - Lasagne Sheets (See Notes)
Bechamel Sauce (White Sauce)
- 900ml (30.4floz) - Full Fat Milk
- 90g (3.1oz) - Unsalted Butter, Cubed
- 90g (3.1oz) - Plain All-Purpose Flour, Sifted
- 1/2 - Brown Onion
- 2 - Bay Leaves (Dried)
- 3 - Whole Cloves
- 45g (1.5oz) - Parmesan Cheese, Freshly Grated
Method
Meat Sauce
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, add in the bacon, fry for 1 minute.
- Add in onion, celery, carrots, garlic, oregano, rosemary & thyme, saute for 8 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add in the beef mince, pork mince & season to taste. Cook for 5 minutes to brown the meat, stirring frequently.
- Pour in red wine, bring to a boil & cook for 5 minutes to slightly reduce & deglaze the pot.
- Add in sun-dried tomatoes, basil & canned tomatoes, mix well & bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, place on a lid & allow to simmer for 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes, remove the lid & give the sauce a good mix, check for seasoning again. Place the lid back on & repeat the process for another 45 minutes.
- After the second 45 minute period (1 hour & 30 minutes in total), remove the lid, give the sauce a good mix then place the lid back on again & allow to simmer for a final 15 minutes.
- 15 minutes later, remove the lid (this time for good), stir the sauce & check the seasoning levels again. Remove from the stovetop & allow to rest.
Bechamel Sauce
- Pour milk into a small to a medium-sized saucepan.
- To create an onion cloute (pique), with 1/2 a brown (yellow) onion, place the bay leaves onto the onion & use the cloves as nails to pin the bay leaves on. Add the prepared onion cloute into the milk, place over medium heat & heat just before simmering point. Don't let it boil.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, add in unsalted butter & allow it to melt.
- Add in plain (all-purpose) flour & mix into the butter to create a roux. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring very frequently.
- Remove the onion cloute from the warm milk & save it for a stock. Add in 2 ladles worth of the warm milk into the roux, mixing it until fully incorporated before adding in more. Repeat until all the milk has been added. Once smooth, remove from the heat.
- Grate in fresh parmesan cheese & season with sea salt flakes. Mix the parmesan cheese into the sauce, allowing it to melt.
Preparing The Lasagne
- Preheat oven to 180°c - 350°f.
- Grease a large baking dish with unsalted butter (recommended baking dish size 30cm x 20cm).
- Spoon in 3 ladles worth of sauce into the bottom of the tray & spread it out evenly. Place over the lasagne sheets to cover the sauce. Don't allow them to overlap much (see notes about the lasagne sheets). Pour over 1 ½ ladles worth of bechamel sauce, spread it around evenly & completely cover the lasagne sheets. Repeat the process with meat sauce, lasagne sheets & bechamel, finishing with bechamel on the top. This recipe creates 3 layers.
- Grate over fresh parmesan cheese covering the top. Wrap the baking dish in aluminium foil & bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven & remove the aluminium foil.
- Grate over more parmesan cheese & place back into the oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown on top. Remove from the oven, allow to cool for 10 minutes. Portion, serve & dig in.
Calories 1441kcalCarbohydrates 94gProtein 68gFat 86gSaturated Fat 36gPolyunsaturated Fat 7gMonounsaturated Fat 34gTrans Fat 2gCholesterol 224mgSodium 1396mgPotassium 2875mgFiber 11gSugar 32gVitamin A 6785IUVitamin C 42mgCalcium 789mgIron 10mg
The above nutrition guide is based on daily averages and is calculated for a single portion.
Recipe Notes
Lasagne Storage Instructions
To store, place into the fridge for up to 6 days and in the freezer for up to 6 months, both held in an airtight container.
Lasagne Reheating Instructions
To reheat, place the lasagne into a preheated oven set at 180.c – 350.f and bake for 15 minutes or until hot in the centre. Alternatively, it can be reheated in bursts in the microwave.
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