Classic Beef Lasagne

Ingredients

• 750 g beef mince, 15–20% fat
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 200 ml beef stock, hot
• 2 carrots, finely diced
• 2 celery sticks, finely diced
• 3 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 2 onions, finely diced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 300 ml red wine
• 50 g plain flour
• 600 ml whole milk
• 50 g unsalted butter
• 80 g parmesan, finely grated
• 9 dried lasagne sheets
• 125 g mozzarella, torn
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• Fine salt and black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Method

1. Pat the mince dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat a glug of olive oil in a large heavy-based pan over high heat until it shimmers. Brown the mince in two batches, breaking it up as it goes, 6–8 minutes per batch until deeply caramelised with proper crusty bits. Keep a little clear pan visible between the pieces. If they are touching all over, they will steam. Lift out and set aside, leaving the fond behind.
2. Drop the heat to medium. Add the onions, carrots and celery to the same pan and cook for 8 minutes until soft, glossy and starting to catch at the edges. Stir in the garlic and cook for just 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the tomato puree and smoked paprika and fry for 1–2 minutes, stirring, until the purée darkens to brick red and the paprika smells toasted.
3. Pour in the red wine and let it bubble hard for 3 minutes, scraping up every brown stuck bit from the base. Return the mince, then add the chopped tomatoes, hot beef stock and oregano. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 30–35 minutes, stirring now and then, until thick, glossy and the spoon leaves a clean trail. Loosen with a splash more stock if it tightens too soon.
4. While the ragu simmers, make the béchamel. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute until it smells biscuity. Add the milk a splash at a time, whisking continuously, until you have a smooth sauce thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Off the heat, stir in half the parmesan, a good grind of pepper, a grating of nutmeg if you like, and salt to taste.
5. Heat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan. Spoon a third of the ragu into a deep 30cm baking dish and spread level. Lay 3 lasagne sheets on top, snapping to fit. Add another third of ragu, then a third of the béchamel, spreading to the edges. Repeat. Finish with the last 3 sheets, then the remaining béchamel poured over so the pasta is fully blanketed; any sheet poking through will dry out and curl.
6. Scatter the torn mozzarella and remaining parmesan over the top. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 25 minutes, then uncover and bake for a further 15 minutes until the top is deep golden, blistered, and bubbling fiercely at the edges.
7. Rest the lasagne for 10 minutes before cutting; it slices cleanly once the layers settle.