Lasagne al forno with bolognese ragu

Step 1

Fry the vegetables in a little olive oil until they soften. (Some Italian chefs insist that the meat and vegetables be fried separately as they require different levels of heat)

Step 2

In a separate pan fry the minced meat in heated olive oil over a medium heat until it begins to brown and then add the vegetables. (you can also cook the meat with the veg)

Step 3

Add the wine and continue stirring. When the alcohol has evaporated, add the tomatoes and/or passata and the stock.

Step 4

Lower the heat and leave to simmer partially covered for at least 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally.

Step 5

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Step 6

Add the milk, stir and continue to let the sauce simmer for another 30 minutes.

Step 7

If you think the sauce is too liquidy you can remove the cover completely till it reduces. But if you are using fresh or uncooked pasta the sauce needs to be a little liquidy.

Step 8

Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat, incorporate the sifted flour and mix everything with a wooden spoon or whisk until you have a paste (roux)

Step 9

Cook the roux until it is golden, and at this point add the milk a little at a time, plus a pinch of salt and a ½ teaspoon of grated nutmeg. Continue to stir until the sauce reaches the consistency you want.

Step 10

If you are using dried pasta sheets partly cook them in boiling salted water. You may want to add a little olive oil to the water so they don't stick together or cook them one at a time!

Step 11

Then butter a rectangular baking dish and spread a little sauce on the bottom. Make a layer of lasagne sheets, cover them with a layer of sauce, some béchamel and a sprinkling of grated cheese.

Step 12

Then put another layer of pasta, then bolognese sauce, béchamel and cheese and so on until the ingredients are used up, leaving some béchamel for the final layer.

Step 13

Cover the last layer with béchamel sauce, grated parmesan and some butter flakes.

Step 14

Bake your lasagne al forno in a preheated oven at 170-180 °c (338-356°F)for about thirty minutes. When the surface is golden and the pasta is cooked (check using a fork) remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. If using uncooked pasta it's a good idea to cover the dish with aluminium foil for the first 15 minutes as otherwise the top may get golden before the pasta is cooked.

Step 15

Allow the lasagne al forno to sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.