NibbowlSign up free

Back to recipes

Classic Beef Lasagne

Layers of rich beef ragu, creamy white sauce and melted cheddar.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 500 g beef mince
• 1 onion
• 2 carrots
• 2 celery sticks
• 2 garlic cloves
• 800 g tinned chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 200 ml beef stock
• 250 g dried lasagne sheets
• 50 g butter
• 50 g plain flour
• 600 ml milk
• 100 g mature cheddar

Method

1. Finely chop the onion, carrots and celery, crush the garlic and grate the cheddar.
2. Heat the oil in a large pan over a high heat. Add the mince and fry for 6 to 8 minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned with no pink.
3. Turn the heat down to medium. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook for 8 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic for 1 minute.
4. Add the tomatoes, tomato purée, oregano and stock. Simmer for 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until thick. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
5. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 200C (180C fan). For the white sauce, melt the butter in a pan over a medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
6. Gradually add the milk a little at a time, stirring all the time so no lumps form. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring, until thick and smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Spoon a layer of the meat sauce into an ovenproof dish, cover with lasagne sheets, then add a layer of white sauce. Repeat, finishing with white sauce on top.
8. Scatter over the cheddar. Bake for 35 minutes, until golden and bubbling and the pasta is tender.
9. Leave to rest for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.