Classic lasagna recipe made with an easy meat sauce as the base recipe.
Ingredients
6-8 lasagne sheets
25x25cm oven proof dish
For the Ragu
1 tbsp olive oil, plus a little extra
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
800g beef mince (10% fat is best)
1 heaped tbsp flour
400ml beef stock
1 heaped tsp smoked paprika
Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp ketchup
For the cheese sauce
50g butter
50g flour
600ml milk
1 tsp English mustard
A few scrapes of Nutmeg
Salt and pepper
100g Cathedral City Mature Cheddar, plus 30g for the top
Directions
Pre heat the oven to 200F/180C/Gas 6
Brush the oven dish with olive oil.
In a large deep frying pan heat the oil and fry the onion until it starts to soften. Add the garlic and fry for a further minute. Add the mince and cook until browned. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, then stir in the stock. Add the smoked paprika, a few good glugs of Worcestershire sauce and the tomato purée, stir well then add the chopped tomatoes and ketchup and stir again. Season with salt and pepper and leave to bubble away on a low heat for 1 hour stirring now and again, until the sauce is thick.
Melt the butter in a deep saucepan and add the flour, cook for 2 minutes and add the milk a little at a time whisking until smooth. Mix in the mustard and nutmeg and then stir in the Cathedral City. Season to taste, cover and set aside until the ragu is ready.
Once the mince is cooked, pour half into the oven dish, place 3-4 lasagne sheets over the meat and then cover with half the cheese sauce. Repeat the process with the remaining sauce and sprinkle some cheddar to top.
Place in the oven and cook for 35-40 minutes until the top is golden brown and the sauce is bubbling up the sides. Serve hot with a crunchy green salad.