Beef Lasagne
Our Winter Issue cover star is well deserving of the limelight! Nothing quite beats a warm and cheesy home-made beef lasagne on those chilly winter evenings.
HANDS-ON TIME 45 minutes | TOTAL TIME 3 hours 15 minutes | SERVES 6-8
INGREDIENTS
BOLOGNESE SAUCE (RAGÙ)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 kg beef mince
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
2 bay leaves
¼ cup tomato paste
½ cup red wine
2½ cups tomato passata/puree
2 tbsp sugar
4 cups beef stock
BÉCHAMEL CHEESE SAUCE
75 grams butter
75 grams flour
3½ cups milk, warmed cup grated Cheddar cup Parmesan
½ tsp ground nutmeg
150 grams baby spinach, stems removed and roughly chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
TO ASSEMBLE
500 grams lasagne sheets
Mozzarella, grated
Parmesan, grated
METHOD
RAGÙ
HEAT oil in a pot over medium heat. Add carrot, onion, celery and garlic. Cook for 5-6 minutes until soft Add the beef mince and dried herbs and cook until browned. (If there is a lot of excess fat in the pan, spoon some out).
ADD tomato paste and red wine. Cook for 3 minutes. Add tomato passata/puree, sugar, and beef stock. Season well. Leave to simmer on low heat for 2-2½ hours uncovered.
BÉCHAMEL CHEESE SAUCE
MELT butter in a pot over medium heat. Add in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute; don’t let the mixture brown.
WHISK in the milk a little at a time to form a smooth sauce. Cook until thickened, then add in the cheeses, stirring until melted; add in nutmeg and spinach. Season to taste.
TO ASSEMBLE
PREHEAT the oven to 180°C.
SPOON ragù on the very bottom of the baking dish. Top with an even layer of lasagne pasta sheets (cut the pasta sheets to fit your baking dish).
ADD a few spoons of white sauce so the pasta is completely covered.
REPEAT the layers of ragù, pasta and béchamel sauce until everything is used up, making sure to keep enough of béchamel sauce for the very top layer.
COVER the top layer of the lasagne with grated mozzarella and Parmesan and then bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until bubbling and golden.
LET it cool slightly for 5-10 minutes before serving.
FOOD TEAM TIP: If you have any leftover ragu, pop it in an airtight container and enjoy it the next day on some spaghetti or pop it in the freezer for another day’s meal.
Beef Lasagne
Our Winter Issue cover star is well deserving of the limelight! Nothing quite beats a warm and cheesy home-made lasagne on those chilly winter evenings.
Ingredients
- BOLOGNESE SAUCE (RAGÙ)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 kg beef mince
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2 bay leaves
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- ½ cup red wine
- 2½ cups tomato passata/puree
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 4 cups beef stock
- BÉCHAMEL CHEESE SAUCE
- 75 grams butter
- 75 grams flour
- 3½ cups milk, warmed cup grated Cheddar cup Parmesan
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 150 grams baby spinach, stems removed and roughly chopped
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- TO ASSEMBLE
- 500 grams lasagne sheets
- Mozzarella, grated
- Parmesan, grated
Instructions
RAGÙ
HEAT oil in a pot over medium heat. Add carrot, onion, celery and garlic. Cook for 5-6 minutes until soft Add the beef mince and dried herbs and cook until browned. (If there is a lot of excess fat in the pan, spoon some out).
ADD tomato paste and red wine. Cook for 3 minutes. Add tomato passata/puree, sugar, and beef stock. Season well. Leave to simmer on low heat for 2-2½ hours uncovered.
BÉCHAMEL CHEESE SAUCE
MELT butter in a pot over medium heat. Add in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute; don't let the mixture brown.
WHISK in the milk a little at a time to form a smooth sauce. Cook until thickened, then add in the cheeses, stirring until melted; add in nutmeg and spinach. Season to taste.
TO ASSEMBLE
PREHEAT the oven to 180°C.
SPOON ragù on the very bottom of the baking dish. Top with an even layer of lasagne pasta sheets (cut the pasta sheets to fit your baking dish).
ADD a few spoons of white sauce so the pasta is completely covered.
REPEAT the layers of ragù, pasta and béchamel sauce until everything is used up, making sure to keep enough of béchamel sauce for the very top layer.
COVER the top layer of the lasagne with grated mozzarella and Parmesan and then bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until bubbling and golden.
LET it cool slightly for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
FOOD TEAM TIP: If you have any leftover ragù, pop it in an airtight container and enjoy it the next day on some spaghetti or pop it in the freezer for another day's meal.
Made this delicious Beef Lasagne recipe? Tag us @foodandhomesa #CookingWithFH on Instagram!
ALSO SEE: Sweet potato and eggplant lasagne
https://www.foodandhome.co.za/recipes/sweet-potato-and-eggplant-lasagne
Recipe and Styling: Jezza-Rae Larsen
Photography: Gareth van Nelson
