Lasagne al Forno

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My recipe for the Lasagna al Forno is based on super chef Gino D’Acampo Lasagne Della Nonna He is one of my favourite chefs and a super friendly guy and I photographed him quite a few years back…in fact, was 2010 in London!

Ingredients

12 fresh lasagne sheets, each about 10 x 18cm

50g freshly grated parmesan cheese

50g cold salted butter, cut into 1cm cubes

to taste salt and pepper

FOR THE BÉCHAMEL SAUCE

100g salted butter

100g plain flour

1 litre cold full-fat milk

40g freshly grated parmesan cheese

freshly grated nutmeg

FOR THE MEAT SAUCE

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 peeled and finely chopped onion

1 large peeled and grated carrot

1 finely chopped celery stick,

500g minced beef

1 glass dry red wine

1 x 700ml bottle passata sauce

1 tablespoon tomato purée

Some fresh basil leaves

Preparation

For the Meat Sauce

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and fry onion, carrot and celery for 7-8 minutes, stirring regularly with a wooden spoon.

Then add the minced beef and continue to cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until coloured all over. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 more minutes.

Pour in the wine, stir well and cook for 5 minutes until the alcohol has evaporated. Add the passata, tomato purée and basil, then lower the heat and cook, uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until you get a beautiful rich sauce. Taste and season after about 40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/gas mark 4.

For the béchamel sauce

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute until it becomes light brown in colour. Gradually whisk in the milk, lower the heat and cook for 10 minutes, whisking constantly. Once thickened, stir in the Parmesan and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper and set aside to slightly cool.

Spread a quarter of the béchamel sauce in the bottom of a deep ovenproof dish measuring about 30 x 25cm. Lay 4 lasagne sheets on top and, if necessary, cut them to fit the dish.

Spread half the meat sauce over the pasta, then top with a third of the remaining béchamel sauce. Lay 4 more sheets of lasagne on top and cover with the remaining meat sauce. Spread half the remaining béchamel sauce on top. Arrange a final layer of lasagne sheets over the sauces, then gently spread the rest of the béchamel on top, making sure that you completely cover the pasta.

Sprinkle with the Parmesan and cubed butter. Finally, grind some black pepper over the top.

Cook in the bottom of the oven for 30 minutes, then place the dish in the middle of the oven, raise the temperature to 200ºC/gas mark 6 and cook for a further 15 minutes until golden and crispy all over. Set the dish aside to rest for 10 minutes before serving.