For the longest time I have been wanting to make homemade beef lasagna. I have been craving that traditional yet simple lasagna with layers of pasta, béchamel sauce and tasty bolognese. So in the holidays I found this recipe and decided to give it a try. Since then I have already made it 3 times. That means it’s really good and so easy – hence, the need to share it with you. This lasagna pairs well with a delicious red wine, especially on a cold night now that winter is approaching.

HOW I MAKE IT:

Bolognese

In a large pot, I add the olive oil, mince, carrots, celery, onion, garlic and salt. I let this sauté until the mince is nice and brown and there is no liquid (from the mince) left at the bottom of the pot. I then add the two tins of Italian crushed tomatoes, water and spices. I let this cook on a low heat for as long as possible, until nicely thickened – maybe for 1.5 or 2 hours. I do regularly stir the mince and add more water if necessary.

Béchamel Sauce

When the mince is nearly ready, I make the béchamel sauce. In a smaller pot, once the butter is melted, I add the flour and salt, and whisk to combine. Once combined, I slowly add the milk and keep stirring until thickened. Once nice and thick, I remove from the heat.

To layer

In a medium sized baking dish, I start off by first spreading 2 to 3 spoonfuls of bolognese sauce on the bottom of the dish. I then place a layer of lasagna sheet noodles, then top with bolognese sauce, white sauce, grated mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. I did three layers like this. The very last layer I do is bolognese with grated mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese on top.

Cook:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. I cover the lasagna with foil and then let it bake in the oven for about 3o minutes. I then remove the foil and allow to bake and get crispy on top for another 10 minutes. How do we know when it is ready? When a knife can easily be inserted – that means the pasta is cooked!

I find this recipe to be relatively easy. For the exact recipe with quantities, click here. Instead of tomato puree, I used Italian crushed tomatoes. I also didn’t follow exact measurements, and instead eye balled the amounts.

Enjoy your homemade beef lasagna with a glass or two of red wine!

Recipe: Spaghetti aglio e olio with roasted tomatoes and olives

♥