Homemade Lasagne

Meaty Red Sauce

• 750g Minced Beef
• 1 Can Chopped Tomatoes
• 75g Tomato Puree
• 150g Button Mushrooms
• 4 Garlic Cloves
• 1 Large Onion
• 1 Bell Pepper
• 4 Fresh Rosemary Sprigs
• 300ml Red Wine (Merlot)

Bechamel Sauce

• 75g Butter
• 3 tablespoons Plain Flour
• 500ml Milk
• 150g Grated Cheddar Cheese
• 30g Grated Parmesan Cheese

Layering

• 1 Pack Fresh Lasagne Sheets

Meaty Red Sauce

1. Peel & finely chop the onion.
2. Chop the mushrooms into quarters.
3. Remove the seeds from the pepper then finely chop.
4. Peel the garlic cloves.
5. Heat a little oil/butter in a pan over a medium/high heat.
6. Add the mushrooms, allowing them to soak up the fat and stir for a minute or 2.
7. Add the onions and continue to stir until they have all softened.
8. Stir in the chopped pepper and leave to cook for a few minutes.
9. Whilst it's cooking, pull the rosemary leaves from their stems and chop finely. But do not add to the pan just yet.
10. Add the minced beef to the pan. Try to keep it all fairly loose and prevent it from sticking in clumps. (Don't be afraid to mash it with a wooden spoon.)
11. As the meat begins to brown, drain off any excess fat.
12. Crush in your garlic and add your rosemary and give it a good stir.
13. Season with a few twists of salt and stir.
14. Pour in the wine and stir. Leave it for around 5 minutes to cook off the alcohol.
15. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and tomato puree.
16. Lower the heat, cover and leave to simmer whilst you make the Bechamel Sauce.

Bechamel Sauce

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan on a low/medium heat.
2. Add the plain flour 1 tablespoon at a time. After adding each tablespoon, give it a good whisk until it is fully absorbed by the butter before adding the next.
3. Keep the saucepan contents moving, we do not want it to stick to the pan/burn. If you find it is sticking, try lowering the heat.
4. Once you have a thick custard like consistency, begin to whisk in the milk 100ml at a time.
5. Once all of the milk is added, add a twist or 2 of salt.
6. Add the grated parmesan and cheddar and continue to whisk. (Keep around 1/3 of the parmesan and a handful of cheddar for later).
7. Keep whisking for around 5 minutes and you should have a lovely cheesy, creamy sauce.
8. Take the saucepan off the heat to prevent it from sticking/burning.

Putting it all together

1. Find yourself a nice deep oven dish and heat the oven to 180 C.
2. The pattern you want to go for is; Red Sauce, Pasta, Bechamel Sauce.
3. So go ahead and add a layer of meaty red sauce.
4. Cover it with lasagne sheets.
5. Cover the lasagne sheets with Bechamel Sauce.
6. Repeat the above steps as necessary.
7. Ensure you have a good helping of Bechamel Sauce to cover the top with!
8. Sprinkle the leftover parmesan and cheddar on the top.
9. Put the dish in the oven for 30 minutes at 180 C.
10. When you remove the dish from the oven, leave to rest for a few minutes before serving.