This is no ordinary lasagne, as I made the bolognese/ragu with tiny chunks of beef rather than mince which gave it the most amazing texture and also was loaded with dark beefy flavour. This recipe obviously works well with mince but if you want to give your Bolognese an upgrade with a more decadent, rich sauce, try this recipe out. You will love it!
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Serves 4⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
INGREDIENTS
400g dry aged beef rib - chopped into 1cm pieces or mince
300g chestnut mushrooms chopped ⠀
3red onions finely chopped ⠀
5 cloves crushed garlic ⠀
1 tin tomatoes or passata
1 tablespoon Worcester sauce
1 glass red wine
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon tomato purée ⠀
Lasagne Sheets⠀
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White Sauce⠀
50g butter⠀
25g plain flour⠀
570ml milk⠀
Salt and pepper ⠀
130g grated cheese - cheddar, Parmesan or jarslberg
Cheese
1 mozzarella ball drained on kitchen towel and torn into pieces ⠀
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan or Grana Padano⠀
METHOD ⠀
Bolognese ⠀
Sauté the onions in olive oil,slowly on a low heat for approximately 30 minutes until caramelised, but not burnt. This is worth doing as really adds flavour to the end sauce.⠀
Add the garlic for 2 minutes. Now add the beef, season and turn the heat up slightly. Stir the meat until brown and. Pour in the Worcester sauce, wine and balsamic and let the alcohol evaporate. Now add the mushrooms, tomatoes and purée. Season and taste. Simmer on a low heat for 2 hours. ⠀
If you think it’s too thin remove the lid to thicken.⠀
White Sauce⠀
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat.⠀
Stir in the flour. Whisk in a little of the milk at a time, stirring continuously until you have a smooth, slightly thick sauce.⠀
Remove from the heat; season with salt and pepper. Add bay leaf for additional flavour.⠀
In a medium-large oven dish, layer the lasagne,⠀
Lasagne sheets, Bolognese, Béchamel, Lasagne sheets, Bolognese....
Finishing with béchamel, mozzarella and Parmesan.⠀
Bake in an oven of 210 degrees for 30-40 minutes.