Harriet's Ultimate Lasagne

Harriet's

ULTIMATE LASAGNE

BOLOGNAISE:

1kg pork mince 500g beef mince 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 200g pancetta, cubed (available at Vetro) 150–200g mushrooms, sliced 1 large onion, finely diced 1 large celery stalk, finely diced 1 large carrot, finely diced 6 plump garlic cloves, grated or crushed 2 tbsp tomato paste 1 cup white wine 2 tins chopped tomatoes 2 cups chicken stock 1 cup milk

BÉCHAMEL:

100g butter ½ cup flour 3 cups milk ½ tsp nutmeg, freshly grated (use a bit less if pre-ground) ½ cup Parmesan, grated 1 cup ricotta 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated 1 egg, lightly whisked (I use Otaika Valley Free Range)

500g dried lasagne sheets (available at Vetro) generous handful of grated mozzarella

Mix pork and beef mince with 2 large pinches of salt and a really generous grinding of pepper. Heat oil over a medium-high heat in a large cast iron pot. Working in batches, brown off the meat. Make sure you let some bits get really crispy for extra flavour. Transfer to a bowl until it’s all browned off. Reduce heat to medium. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring often, until the fat has rendered down and it’s beginning to crisp up, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, onion, celery, carrot and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6–8 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Increase the heat slightly, add the wine and cook until it’s almost evaporated. Add tomatoes and cook for a further 5–10 minutes until the liquid is starting to reduce and become jammy. Add chicken stock, milk and browned-off mince and bring to a simmer.

Turn the heat to low and cook for 2–3 hours until flavoursome and rich. In the first two hours add extra water if the sauce is thickening too fast or the bottom is sticking. After the two-hour mark, let the sauce reduce to a thick bolognaise. Check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper if needed.

While the bolognaise is cooking, make the béchamel. In a medium sized pot, melt the butter over a medium heat until foaming. Add the flour in and stir with a wooden spoon for about 1 minute. Add the milk a third of a cup at a time, stirring constantly. Continue to stir for 3–4 minutes until thickened. Add cheeses and egg and stir until well combined. Taste for seasoning, adding nutmeg, salt and pepper. Set aside until ready to use. Heat the oven to 180°C. In a large/deep dish (about 25x30cm), start with a third of the meat sauce on the bottom, then pour over a quarter of the béchamel. Add a layer of lasagne sheets. Repeat this twice more and spread the last quarter of the béchamel on the top layer of lasagne sheets. Sprinkle with grated mozzarella and bake in the oven for 30–35 minutes, until the pasta is cooked through and the top is golden brown.

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