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Lasagna

Recipe for perfect lasagna, or as say it in Italy lasagne, should be in a cook book of every family. As these dish is so versatile. There are hundreds versions of lasagna recipes. Vegetarian lasagna, cheese lasagna, spinach lasagna, mushroom lasagna, and of course meat lasagna, everyone loves lasagna and whenever you make it you have to make a huge dish.

Here is our family favourite Lasagna Recipe

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 carrot, peeled, finely diced
• 1 celery stick, finely diced
• 1 zucchini, chopped into small cubes
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 teaspoon of mixed Italian herbs)
• 600g lean beef mince
• 500 ml beef stock
• 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 250g grated mozzarella
• 400g instant lasagna sheets or 375g packet fresh lasagna sheets

Bechamel cheese sauce

• 50g unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons plain flour
• 150g ricotta cheese
• 375 ml milk
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 cups grated parmesan

Heat the oil in a large pan over high heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add the garlic, celery, carrot and zucchini and cook for 2 minutes. Add the beef and cook for 5 minutes, or until cooked. Add the oregano and cook for 3 minutes.

Add stock, tomato paste and tomatoes and season. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 1,5 hours, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly.

To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly stir in the milk, and keep stirring until the sauce boils and thickens. Simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in the ricotta until smooth.

Preheat oven to 200 C. In a 20cm x 30cm baking dish, layer the bolognaise sauce, then the cheese sauce, mozzarella and lasagne. Repeat the layering twice more, finishing with a layer of lasagne, then cheese sauce and the remaining parmesan. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until golden brown and bubbling. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.

BUON APPETITO!