Ingredients
Beef ragù
- 500 g beef mince
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 2 carrots, finely diced
- 2 celery stalks, finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 200 ml red wine
- 400 g tinned crushed tomatoes
- 33 g tomato paste
- 250 ml beef stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- salt
- black pepper
Béchamel sauce
- 60 g butter
- 60 g plain flour
- 600 ml full-fat milk, warmed
- ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- salt
- white pepper
Assembly
- 250 g fresh lasagne sheets (or dried, pre-soaked)
- 150 g finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 30 g butter, for dotting
Method
Make the beef ragù
Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add the beef mince, breaking it up with the back of a wooden spoon, and cook until no pink remains, about 5–6 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.
Add diced onion, carrot, and celery. Stir and cook until softened, about 6–8 minutes.
Stir in garlic and tomato paste, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant.
Pour in red wine and scrape up any browned bits from the pan. Simmer until the wine reduces by half, about 3–4 minutes.
Add tinned tomatoes, beef stock, bay leaves, and oregano. Stir well.
Reduce heat to low and simmer gently, uncovered, for 35–40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and rich. Season with salt and pepper. Remove bay leaves.
Make the béchamel sauce
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Whisk in flour to form a smooth paste (roux) and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes—do not let it brown.
Gradually add the warm milk, whisking constantly to avoid lumps, until you have a smooth sauce.
Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 8–10 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
Season with nutmeg, salt, and white pepper. Remove from heat.
Assemble and bake
Preheat oven to 180°C fan-forced.
Spread a thin layer of beef ragù (about 150ml) over the base of a 9×13 cm baking dish.
Layer lasagne sheets over the ragù, breaking them to fit if needed—you may need 3–4 sheets per layer.
Spread another thin layer of ragù over the sheets.
Spoon a quarter of the béchamel over the ragù and spread gently.
Repeat layers: pasta, ragù, béchamel, pasta, ragù, béchamel, until you finish with a top layer of béchamel (about 150ml). The final layer should be béchamel, scattered with remaining Parmesan and dotted with small pieces of butter.
Bake on the middle shelf for 35–40 minutes (or 45–50 minutes if refrigerated) until the top is deeply golden and bubbling at the edges.
Rest for 15 minutes before serving.
