Best Lasagna Ever
Indulgent lasagna layered with rich Bolognese and silky Parmesan white sauce, topped with bubbling, golden mozzarella for the ultimate comforting bite.
Ingredients
Vegetables
- 2 medium carrots
- 2 celery stalks
- 1 medium-large pink onion
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp cold water
- Salt and black pepper
Bolognese
- 400 g beef mince 5% fat
- 400 g lamb mince 15% fat
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp Ras el Hanout
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Tomato sauce
- 400 g (tin) finely chopped tomatoes
- 400 g passata
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 tsp fine salt
- ½ tsp caster sugar
- 1 tbsp sweet paprika
- ½ cup water
White sauce
- 50 g unsalted butter
- 50 g all-purpose flour
- Milk as needed (about a pint)
- ½ tsp salt
- Pinch sweet paprika
- Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ tsp English mustard
- ⅓ cup finely grated Parmesan
To assemble
- 1/2 package Lasagna sheets
- 200 g Low-moisture mozzarella
- 100 g Cheddar freshly grated
Instructions
Cook the vegetables
- Finaly chop the carrot, celery, onion and garlic.
- Heat olive oil over high heat, fry the vegetables and garlic until beginning to colour.
- Lower the heat, add 2 tbsp water, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 3-4 more minutes until softened.
- Remove the veggies from pan and set aside.
Brown the meat
- Mix the beef and lamb with salt, Ras el Hanout, cumin and honey.
- Heat olive oil in the same pan you fried the veggies and brown the meat over high heat in 2–3 batches.
- Use wooden spoon to break it up finely. Once fully browned, but not yet thoroughly cooked. Return the vegetables to the pan.
Make the Bolognese
- Mix the chopped tomatoes, passata, tomato purée, salt, sugar and paprika together.
- Add to the pan with meats and veggies, along with ½ cup of water.
- Lower the heat and simmer over medium-low heat for 5-8 minutes.
Make the white sauce
- In a heavy bottom pot, melt together the butter and flour over low heat.
- Once the butter fully absorbed, cook the flour further 2-3 minutes.
- Gradually add in 1/3 cup of milk, using manual whisk, whisk vigorously until smooth.
- Continue adding milk whilst whisking, until the consistency becomes that of pourable yoghurt.
- Remove from the heat and add salt, paprika, nutmeg and mustard.
- Loosen with a little extra milk, then stir in the Parmesan, using a wooden spoon, until melted.
Assemble
- Spread a little of the Bolognese juices over the base of a baking dish.
- Layer pasta → Bolognese → white sauce, repeating as needed, finishing with Bolognese and white sauce.
- Shred the mozzarella on top, grate over the Cheddar cheese.
Bake
- Heat the oven to 180°C fan.
- Cover loosely with foil and bake on a lower rack for 25 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake for another 10–12 minutes, until golden and bubbling.
- Allow to rest before slicing.