Ragù
Pork mince, 900g
Beef mince (20% fat), 450g
Pancetta or bacon, 60g, chopped
Brown onion, 1, finely diced
Celery, 1 stick, finely diced
Carrot, 1, peeled and finely diced
Garlic, 6 cloves, sliced
Tomato paste, 2 tbs
White wine, 180ml
Whole peeled tomatoes, 1 x 800g tin
Chicken stock (low salt), 250ml
Full cream milk, 250ml
Salt and pepper
Olive oil, 2 tbs
Béchamel and assembly
Butter, 100g
Plain flour, 60g
Full cream milk, 1.5 litres
Parmesan cheese, 110g, coarsely grated
Cayenne pepper, a pinch
Nutmeg, a pinch
Salt and pepper
Dried lasagna sheets, 560g
Olive oil, for greasing
Heat the oven to 110°C.
Mix the pork and beef mince together by hand with plenty of salt and pepper, and roll into about 18 large balls. They don't need to be neat.
Brown the meatballs in oil in a heavy pot on medium-high heat, in two batches, about 6 minutes each. Set aside on a tray.
Lower the heat to medium and fry the pancetta until it starts to crisp.
Add the onion, celery, carrot and garlic and fry until softened.
Add the tomato paste and fry for a couple of minutes, stirring, until it darkens.
Add the wine and cook until it has almost all evaporated.
Crush the tomatoes into the pot by hand, turn up the heat and cook until thick and reduced by half.
Add the stock and milk, return the meatballs to the pot and bring to a simmer.
Partly cover and cook in the oven for 3 to 4 hours, checking every hour that it's just simmering, until the meatballs fall apart.
Mash the meatballs into the sauce with a potato masher. You want about 2 litres of ragù, so simmer on the stove to reduce if needed. Season to taste.
For the béchamel, melt the butter on medium heat, whisk in the flour and cook for about 4 minutes, until it smells nutty.
Whisk in the milk quickly and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly.
Simmer gently, whisking now and then, for 12 to 14 minutes, until thick and smooth.
Take off the heat and whisk in the parmesan, cayenne, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Cover the surface with cling wrap and let it cool a little.
Heat the oven to 160°C.
Boil the lasagna sheets in salted water for 3 minutes only. They should still snap rather than bend. This is what keeps the layers from going gluey.
Cool the sheets in cold water, drain, and lay flat on a tray between sheets of baking paper.
Oil a 33 x 23cm baking dish and spread 375ml of ragù over the base.
Add a layer of pasta sheets, cutting some to fill the gaps.
Spread 310ml of béchamel over the pasta, then 375ml of ragù.
Repeat to make 5 or 6 layers of pasta, finishing with the last 250ml of béchamel.
Cover with oiled foil, sit the dish on a tray and bake for about an hour, until bubbling at the edges.
Turn the oven up to 220°C, move a rack to the top, remove the foil and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until browned and crisp.
Rest for 10 minutes before serving.
It is important to allow the ragu to cook for full amount of time. It must be a rich sauce. The Bechamel must also be thick, if it is too runny, it impacts the texture of the lasagna.
Adapted from Bon Appétit