Traditional Italian Lasagne

The prep time on this traditional Italian lasagne means you’ll be enjoying a couple of red wines as you go! If you really, truly want to wow someone with the genuine taste of Italy, you need to give this lasagne recipe a whirl. And remember, the perfect lasagne needs the best pasta and cheese!

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 3 hours

Ingredients

Meat sauce:
2 Tbsp olive oil
750g mince
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 x 440g cans Italian diced tomatoes
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 Tbsp basil, chopped
Salt and ground black pepper

Cheese sauce:
60g butter
1/3 cup plain flour
2 cups milk
1 cup grated picante provolone cheese (or Pecorino or Ricotta or Feta)
1/2 cup chopped mozzarella (we love NZ made Il Casaro)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 packet of lasagne sheets

Method

1. To make the meat sauce, heat olive oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Cook mince in batches, stirring and breaking up lumps with a wooden spoon. Remove meat to a bowl.
2. Heat remaining oil in the pan and cook the onion, garlic, celery and carrot for 4-5 minutes or until soft.
3. Return the meat to the pan and stir in the undrained tomatoes, wine, oregano and basil. Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
4. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.
5. To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a medium-size saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes.
6. Remove from the heat and gradually add the milk, stirring until the sauce is smooth.
7. Return to the heat and cook, stirring constantly until the sauce boils and thickens. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, then add the provolone and season to taste. Set aside.
8. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
9. Lightly grease a 24 x 30cm ovenproof dish with olive oil.
10. Trim lasagne sheets so they fit into the base of the dish. Spread half of the meat sauce over the lasagne sheets.
11. Top with one-third of the cheese sauce. Arrange another layer of lasagne sheets over the cheese sauce.
12. Repeat layers, finishing with a layer of lasagne then the last of the cheese sauce.
13. Sprinkle with combined mozzarella and parmesan. Bake for 35-40 minutes until top is golden.
14. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.