Lasagne

Step 1
Start by preparing the vegetables. Finely dice the onion, carrot and celery, and finely chop or mince the garlic.

Step 2
Heat a large casserole pot or saucepan with a lid over medium heat and add 2 tbsp of the olive oil. Add the onion, carrot and celery with a pinch of salt, and sauté for 5 minutes until the vegetables have softened and are smelling sweet. Add the garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.

Step 3
Increase the heat to medium high and push the sautéd vegetable mix to one side. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and half the beef mince to the pot. Fry for 3-4 minutes until browned, then stir through the vegetable mix and push to one side again. Add the remaining beef mince and repeat.

Step 4
Once the mince has browned, reduce the heat to medium and add the tomato paste. Stir to combine and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomato paste thickens slightly and deepens in colour.

Step 5
Add the passata, stock, bay leaves, salt and pepper to the pot. Stir to combine, bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 30 minutes, until reduced and rich.

For The Bechamel
Step 6
In a small saucepan, warm the milk until just below simmering point – the surface will start to steam – then turn off the heat. Grate the parmesan, you should have about 3/4 cup.

Step 7
In a medium sized saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Slowly add the flour, stirring often with a wooden spoon to make a paste (roux). You want the paste to stay pale in colour and not brown, so only cook for a minute or two.

Step 8
Once the paste has thickened, slowly add the warm milk, 1/2 a cup at a time, stirring constantly with a whisk until well combined. As the mixture thickens, add more milk until you have a thick white sauce. Continue stirring until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of your spoon.

Step 9
Turn off the heat, add the parmesan, salt and pepper and stir well to melt the cheese.

To Assemble
Step 10
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grate the parmesan and mozzarella.

Step 11
In a baking dish about 20cm x 30cm, spread about a third of the bolognese sauce in an even layer. Cover with a layer of lasagna sheets, breaking the sheets as needed to fit the dish.

Step 12
Next, add another third of the bolognese sauce, smoothing it out with the back of the spoon. Then dollop about a third of the béchamel sauce on top and spread out evenly with the back of a clean spoon. Sprinkle about a third of the parmesan and mozzarella on top.

Step 13
Cover with another layer of lasagna sheets, breaking the sheets as needed to fit the dish, then add the final third of the bolognese sauce, smoothing it out with the back of the spoon. Cover with another third of the béchamel sauce, parmesan and mozzarella, leaving about a third of the béchamel sauce and cheeses to cover to the top.

Step 14
Add a final layer of lasagna sheets, breaking the sheets as needed to fit the dish, cover with the remaining béchamel sauce, then top with the remaining parmesan and mozzarella.

Step 15
Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminium foil and place in the oven for 25 minutes, then uncover and continue baking for 15 minutes, until golden on top, bubbling at the sides, and cooked through in the centre. Test by placing a knife through the middle of the lasagne. If it needs longer, cover with aluminium foil again and place it back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes until cooked through.

Step 16
Let the lasagne rest for 10 minutes before cutting to serve.