Lasagne a la Bolognese

Prep time: 2hrs mins | Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

- Fresh Pasta sheets
- Ragù alla Bolognese
- 30g unsalted butter
- 30g extra virgin olive oil
- 100g onion, finely diced
- 80g carrot, finely diced
- 80g celery, finely diced
- 400g ground beef
- 200g ground pork
- 200ml red wine
- 600g passata (or crushed tomatoes)
- 100ml whole milk
- 400ml chicken/beef stock
- 8g fine sea salt
- 2g freshly ground black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- Béchamel
- 60g unsalted butter
- 60g plain flour (type 00)
- 1,000ml whole milk
- 6g fine sea salt
- 1g ground nutmeg
- 1g white pepper

Method

1. Make the ragù. Warm a heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add butter and olive oil then Stir in onion, carrot, and celery; cook 10 minutes until soft and sweet, without browning.
2. Caramelise separately then add beef and pork, increase heat to medium-high and cook 8–10 minutes, Pour in wine simmer 3–4 minutes until mostly evaporated.
3. Stir in passata, milk, bay leaf and 4g of the salt. Reduce to a very gentle simmer, half-cover and cook 2.5–3 hours, stirring every 20 minutes. Add stock in 50ml splashes as needed to keep it loose and saucy. Finish with the remaining 4g salt and the pepper. Remove bay.
4. Make the béchamel. Heat milk to steaming. In a saucepan melt butter over medium heat, whisk in flour and cook 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in hot milk until smooth. Simmer 5–7 minutes, stirring, until thick enough to coat a spoon. Season with salt, white pepper and nutmeg. Keep warm (cover surface to prevent skin).
5. Assemble. Heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan). In a 20 x 30 cm dish, Spread a thin layer of béchamel on the base. Layer: pasta, a thin, even layer of ragù, a ladle of béchamel, and a sprinkle of cheese. Repeat 3–4 times. Finish with pasta, a generous layer of béchamel, the remaining Parmigiano.
6. Bake and rest. Bake 30–35 minutes until bubbling and golden on top. Rest 15 minutes before slicing so the layers set beautifully.

Enjoy!