Lasagne al Forno

Ingredients

• 250 g dried lasagne sheets
• 500 g beef mince
• 100 g pancetta, finely diced
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 2 celery sticks, finely diced
• 200 ml red wine
• 400 g tinned tomatoes
• 700 ml whole milk (200 ml for the ragu, 500 ml for the béchamel)
• 50 g butter
• 50 g plain flour
• a good grating of nutmeg
• 80 g parmesan, grated

Method

1. Start the soffritto

   Cook the pancetta gently until its fat runs, then add the onion, carrot and celery and sweat until completely soft and sweet. Rushing this is the difference between a good ragu and a flat one.

   15 min

2. Brown the meat

   Turn the heat up, add the mince and cook until it is properly browned rather than merely grey — that colour is most of the flavour.

   10 min

3. The long simmer

   Pour in the wine and let it evaporate, then add the tomatoes and 200 ml of the milk. Simmer on the lowest heat, partly covered, for at least two hours. The milk sounds odd and is not optional: it tenderises the meat and rounds the acidity.

   2 h

4. Make the béchamel

   Melt the butter, stir in the flour and cook for two minutes, then whisk in the remaining milk a little at a time. Simmer until thick, and season with salt and plenty of nutmeg.

   10 min

5. Layer

   Build up ragu, pasta, béchamel and a little parmesan, ending with béchamel and a heavy layer of cheese. Keep the layers thin — a lasagne is about many layers, not deep ones.

6. Bake and rest

   Bake at 190°C until browned and bubbling at the edges. Rest for at least twenty minutes before cutting, or it will slide apart on the plate.

   40 min