A great lasagne dish with Hereford Beef mince and for an extra twist pancetta and chicken livers.
Serves: 4
Cook Time: 3 hours
Ingredients:
- For the Cheese Sauce:
- 25g/1oz butter
- 25g/1oz plain flour
- 425ml/¾pint milk
- 75g/3oz grated hard cheese, e.g Cheddar
- 25g/1oz Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 x 250g/9oz pack fresh lasagne sheets
- For the beef ragù:
- 450g/1lb lean beef mince
- 50g/2oz pancetta cubes or streaky bacon, finely chopped
- 50g/2oz chicken livers, roughly chopped
- 1 red onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- 1 celery stick, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 small sprig fresh thyme
- 1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 300ml/½pint good, hot beef stock
- 5ml/1tsp caster sugar
- 30ml/2tbsp tomato purée
- 100ml/3½floz good red wine
- 1 bay leaf
- 30ml/2tbsp freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 5ml/1tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- Salt and freshly milled black pepper
Method:
- Heat a large non-stick pan and dry fry the mince with the pancetta and chicken livers for 3-4 minutes until brown, breaking up any lumps with the back of a spoon. Transfer to a large bowl. Cook the onion, garlic, celery and carrot in the same frying pan for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the remaining ragù ingredients, bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprig.
- Meanwhile, to make the cheese sauce; heat the butter in a non-stick pan until foaming then whisk in the flour. Remove the pan from the heat and slowly add the milk, return to the heat and cook until thickened, stirring continuously. Add the cheese and season if required.
- Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 5, 190°C, 375°F. Place a layer of lasagne sheets in the base of a 25cm/10inch square ovenproof dish. Spoon half the ragù mixture over the pasta then half the cheese sauce. Repeat with another layer of lasagne and ragù, then finish with a final layer of lasagne sheets and sauce. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese.
- Bake in the oven for 30 minutes and serve with a mixed salad and garlic bread.