Classic Beef Lasagne

Name: Classic Beef Lasagne
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil; 2 rashers streaky bacon, snipped; 1 onion, finely chopped; 1 stick celery, finely diced; 1 medium carrot, finely diced; 2 garlic cloves, chopped; 500g beef mince; 1 tbsp tomato purée; 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes; 1 tbsp honey; 500g dried lasagne sheets; 400ml crème fraîche; 125g mozzarella ball, torn; 50g parmesan, grated; Small handful fresh basil leaves

Rich beef ragù layered with creamy crème fraîche sauce and topped with bubbling golden mozzarella.

75 min serves 6 Medium Watch

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil500ml

2 rashers streaky bacon, snipped300g

1 onion, finely chopped3 pack

1 stick celery, finely diced1 head

1 medium carrot, finely diced500g

2 garlic cloves, chopped3 pack

500g beef mince500g

1 tbsp tomato purée200g

2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes2 x 400g

1 tbsp honey340g

500g dried lasagne sheets500g

400ml crème fraîche300ml

125g mozzarella ball, torn125g

50g parmesan, grated170g

Small handful fresh basil leaves25g

Method

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Use kitchen scissors to snip the bacon into small pieces, or use a sharp knife to chop it on a chopping board. Add the bacon to the pan and cook for just a few mins until starting to turn golden. Add the onion, celery and carrot, and cook over a medium heat for 5 mins, stirring occasionally, until softened.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 min, then tip in the mince and cook, stirring and breaking it up with a wooden spoon, for about 6 mins until browned all over.
Stir in the tomato purée and cook for 1 min, mixing in well with the beef and vegetables. Tip in the chopped tomatoes. Fill each can half full with water to rinse out any tomatoes left in the can, and add to the pan. Add the honey and season to taste. Simmer for 20 mins.
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. To assemble the lasagne, ladle a little of the ragu sauce into the bottom of the roasting tin or casserole dish, spreading the sauce all over the base. Place 2 sheets of lasagne on top of the sauce overlapping to make it fit, then repeat with more sauce and another layer of pasta. Repeat with a further 2 layers of sauce and pasta, finishing with a layer of pasta.
Put the crème fraîche in a bowl and mix with 2 tbsp water to loosen it and make a smooth pourable sauce. Pour this over the top of the pasta, then top with the mozzarella. Sprinkle Parmesan over the top and bake for 25–30 mins until golden and bubbling. Serve scattered with basil, if you like.

Cost to cook

serves 6 · I have the cupboard staples

Mostly estimated prices. Full-pack shop cost · about £13.62 of it is what this recipe actually uses.

Find it in store

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Tesco Asda

£21.28 est. · serves 6

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil500ml

2 rashers streaky bacon, snipped300g

1 onion, finely chopped3 pack

1 stick celery, finely diced1 head

1 medium carrot, finely diced500g

2 garlic cloves, chopped3 pack

500g beef mince500g

1 tbsp tomato purée200g

2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes2 x 400g

1 tbsp honey340g

500g dried lasagne sheets500g

400ml crème fraîche300ml

125g mozzarella ball, torn125g

50g parmesan, grated170g

Small handful fresh basil leaves25g

Method

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Use kitchen scissors to snip the bacon into small pieces, or use a sharp knife to chop it on a chopping board. Add the bacon to the pan and cook for just a few mins until starting to turn golden. Add the onion, celery and carrot, and cook over a medium heat for 5 mins, stirring occasionally, until softened.

Add the garlic and cook for 1 min, then tip in the mince and cook, stirring and breaking it up with a wooden spoon, for about 6 mins until browned all over.

Stir in the tomato purée and cook for 1 min, mixing in well with the beef and vegetables. Tip in the chopped tomatoes. Fill each can half full with water to rinse out any tomatoes left in the can, and add to the pan. Add the honey and season to taste. Simmer for 20 mins.

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. To assemble the lasagne, ladle a little of the ragu sauce into the bottom of the roasting tin or casserole dish, spreading the sauce all over the base. Place 2 sheets of lasagne on top of the sauce overlapping to make it fit, then repeat with more sauce and another layer of pasta. Repeat with a further 2 layers of sauce and pasta, finishing with a layer of pasta.

Put the crème fraîche in a bowl and mix with 2 tbsp water to loosen it and make a smooth pourable sauce. Pour this over the top of the pasta, then top with the mozzarella. Sprinkle Parmesan over the top and bake for 25–30 mins until golden and bubbling. Serve scattered with basil, if you like.