Lasagne recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil for frying
• 5 oz (250 g) pack fresh lasagne sheets
• 2 oz (50 g) prosciutto, randomly chopped

• 1½ lb (700 g) free-range beef mince
• 1 large celery stick finely chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped (optional)
• Small fresh ginger finely chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 9 oz (230 g) tin chopped Italian tomatoes
• 2/3 cup (150 ml) quality beef stock
• 1 tbsp fresh finely chopped oregano
• Small bunch fresh basil, leaves picked and ripped into small pieces

• 1¼ pints (700 ml) whole milk
• 2 oz (60 g) unsalted butter
• 2 oz (60 g) plain flour
• ¾ cup (80 g) parmesan, finely grated
• Pinch freshly grated nutmeg

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, then add the prosciutto and fry until crisp. Reserve on a plate to cool.
For the Meat Sauce
2. Add the celery and onion (or ginger) to the pan with a pinch of salt and pepper; cook until soft (for about 5-10 minutes).
3. Add the mince and fry for a further 5 minutes until lightly browned, breaking up any clumps.
4. Add in the tomato purée, stir in the chopped tomatoes; cook for a further minute.
5. Add the stock and then simmer for 40 minutes over a low heat until the sauce has thickened.
6. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper, then stir in the fried prosciutto, chopped oregano and most of the basil leaves.
For the Bechamel Sauce
7. Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over a medium to high heat. Add flour, stirring constantly for about 4 minutes until the mixture starts to thicken and change colour. Gently pour in  the milk, whisking continuously for about 7 minutes until the creamy sauce has thickened.
8. Take off the heat. Now stir in 20 g (¾ oz) of the parmesan and the nutmeg, seasoning well with salt and pepper.
Construction
9. Heat the oven to 200°C (400F).
10. To build your lasagne, spread a thin layer of the béchamel sauce over the base of the baking dish, then cover with ‘just’ overlapping lasagne sheets. Then pour over a third of the remaining béchamel sauce, add some of the grated cheese over the mixture and top with half the meat mix.
11. Next, cover with another layer of lasagne sheets, add half the remaining béchamel sauce, then add the remaining meat sauce. Add the last layer of lasagne sheets, then cover with the rest of the béchamel sauce. sprinkle the remaining grated cheese over the top layer of sauce, covering the whole area.
12. Bake the lasagne for 45-50 minutes until golden brown and bubbling. Garnish with the residual basil and serve immediately.