traditional meat lasagna

• Ingredients

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1  onion, halved, finely chopped
•  4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 lb of beef mince
• 6 diced tomatoes
• 125ml (1/2 cup) dry red wine
• 55g (1/4 cup) tomato paste
• 1 cup of veggie/meat stock
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil, extra, to grease
• 4 fresh lasagne sheets
• 55g (1/2 cup) coarsely grated mozzarella

cheese sauce

• tablespoon of butter
• 50g (1/4 cup) plain flour
• cup or so of milk
• 70g (1/2 cup) grated cheddar
• Pinch ground nutmeg
• Salt & ground white pepper

parmesan for the top

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• Method

1. Step 1
   Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until onion softens. Add the mince and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up any lumps, for 5 minutes or until mince changes colour. Add the tomato, wine and tomato paste, and enough stock to cover the meat, bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
2. Preheat oven to 180°C. 
3. Meanwhile, to make the cheese sauce, Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until foaming. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes or until mixture bubbles and begins to come away from the side of the pan. Remove from heat.
4. Gradually pour in half the milk, whisking constantly with a balloon whisk, until mixture is smooth. Gradually add the remaining milk, whisking until smooth and combined.
5. Place saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to the boil, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 5 minutes or until sauce thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Remove from heat. Add the cheddar and a little parmesan and stir until cheese melts. Taste and season with nutmeg, salt and white pepper.
6. Step 7
   Brush a rectangular 3L (12 cup) capacity ovenproof dish with oil to lightly grease. Spread one-quarter of the bechamel sauce over the base of the prepared dish. Arrange 1 lasagne sheet over the sauce. Top with one-third of the mince mixture and one-third of the remaining bechamel sauce. Continue layering with the remaining lasagne sheets, mince mixture and bechamel, finishing with a layer of bechamel. Sprinkle with mozzarella and parmesan. Place on a baking tray. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes or until cheese melts, is golden brown, and the edges are bubbling. Remove from oven and set aside for 10 minutes to set.