Ingredients

Serves 8

Bolognese Sauce
1 brown onion
1 carrot
½ red capsicum
30 g basil
30 g parsley
1 kg premium beef
50g celery
150g tomato paste
1.4 litre tomato passata
500ml beef stock
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp salt


White sauce
100g butter
100g flour
600ml milk
50g parmesan


Cheese for layers
500g Mozzarella
100g parmesan
(combined)


6 Fresh Pasta Sheets
 

Garnish
50g grated parmesan

Method

To make bolognese sauce; place all vegetables and herbs in the food processor and process until smooth. Heat oil in large (double base) pot and add vegetable/ herb mixture, brown for 3 - 5 minutes. Add beef and with a wooden spoon break up meat until fine and mixed in with veggies. Add tomato paste, passata and beef stock. Bring to boil then simmer on low heat for 1.5 hours.

To make white sauce; melt butter in a medium pot and in a separate pot heat milk. Add flour to butter and stir with a wooden spoon. When they come together, similar to dough, slowly lade milk into mixture and stir in, when all milk is combined and mixture has thickened, remove from heat and stir through  parmesan. Set aside.

To assemble Lasagna:
Bring to boil large pot of water (unsalted)
Have on bench a bowl with bolognese sauce, a bowl with white sauce and a bowl with mozzarella and parmesan mixed together.
Boil two sheets of pasta at a time removing after three minutes and placing in cold water, ensure they are separated properly.

In a large rectangle lasagne tray place half a ladle of bolognese sauce and cover base to stop pasta from sticking.
Add one sheet of pasta and then ladle bolognese sauce on spreading over whole sheet. Spread across a handful of mozzarella and parmesan mixture. Add another sheet and repeat process. Add another sheet and then spread across a thick layer (1cm) of white sauce. Add another sheet and spread Bolognese sauce then sprinkle cheese mixture, repeat process with next sheet. Place last sheet on top and spread across a layer of bolognese sauce then sprinkle parmesan cheese across to garnish

Cover with baking paper and alfoil and bake at 180˚C. After forty five minutes remove foil and paper and bake for a further 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let it stand (covered) for a further 10 minutes, this will ensure that it is not runny when you cut it.

Things to remember:
In order to make the perfect lasagne:

1. Use Premium beef
2. Cook sauce for minimum 1.5 hours (this ensures tomato paste is cooked through, and ensures all flavours are released)
3. Use only fresh pasta – not instant sheets
4. Hide other vegetables in the sauce for children i.e. broccoli, mushrooms, spinach etc
5. Use top quality products for a better result i.e. handmade pasta, extra virgin olive oil, Italian parmesan, premium beef.
6. Melt butter gently, do not brown.

Another tip is to double the bolognese sauce and freeze in portions so you can make a quick bowl of bolognese spaghetti through the week.

www.marisaskitchen.com.au