(this will feed 6 hungry people)
Meat Sauce :
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
425g (1 lb) Minced Beef
110g (¼ lb.) Streaky Rashers
2 medium Onions
2 Med Carrots
2 Sticks Celery
110g (4 oz.) Chicken Livers diced (optional)
110g (4 oz.) Tomato Puree
300ml (½ ) Stock or Water
Salt and Pepper
Bechamel Sauce;
60g (2 oz.) Butter
60g (2 oz.) Flour
600 ml (I pint) Milk
Freshly grated Nutmeg
About 250g (9 oz.) Dried Lasagne.
Two tablespoons fresh Parmesan or any grated cheese.
Meat Sauce;
First dice the bacon, the onion and the carrot and celery into small cubes.
Heat a tablespoon of the oil in a large pan and then brown the mince in this, breaking up the mince with the back of a wooden spoon as you go, to break up all the lumps. Spoon this out of the pan into a bowl.
Clean out the pan with a piece of kitchen paper and then put on the heat with the second tablespoon of olive oil.
Cook the diced bacon in this on a high heat until it browns, then turn down the heat and add the diced onion, carrot and celery to the pan.
(Now add the chicken livers if using)
Turn the heat right down and cook the vegetables gently in the pan (with a lid if you can) for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they soften.
Add the browned mince,the tomato puree and the water or stock to the pan and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper and then taste and reseason if necessary.
Leave the mince simmering gently on the heat for about 45 mts.
This improves the sauce a lot and is well worth doing.
The sauce can be cooked to this stage well ahead of time and chilled, or frozen for use at another time.
Bechamel Sauce:
Melt the butter in a pan and stir in the flour well.
Add the milk, a little at a time to start with, making sure the previous amount is incorporated before adding more.
Once it is thick and smooth you can add the milk faster but keep whisking to keep the sauce smooth and shiney.
Season with salt and pepper and some freshly grated nutmeg.
To assemble the lasagne have a large rectangular casserole or a small roasting tin.
Put a layer of the meat sauce in the bottom, then a layer of lasagne (break up if necessary but don’t overlap) then a layer of the bechamel sauce and so on until all are used up.
Finish with a layer of bechemal sauce then sprinkle over the cheese.
Put this into a moderate to hot oven (Gas 5, 190C, 375 F) for about 45 minutes until it is brown and bubbling.
Serve with a salad.
