Ingredients
400g Lasagne sheets
Bolognese sauce
For the béchamel sauce
1.2L whole milk
1 carrot, sliced
1 onion, peeled and sliced
Sprig of thyme
Sprig of parsley
6–8 peppercorns (or add to taste)
120g butter
120g plain flour
100g Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180ºC. First, prepare the ragu and allow to cool while you make the white sauce.
Place the milk in a large saucepan and add the carrot, onion, thyme, parsley and peppercorns. Bring to a simmer and remove from heat. Pour through a sieve into a jug and discard the bits.
In another saucepan, heat the butter until it melts and stir through the flour. This forms the counterpart of a classic white sauce roux. Slowly add the milk, whisking continuously, until the sauce has thickened.
Spread a little white sauce over the base of the lasagna dish. Cover with a layer of pasta sheets. Try not to overlap them. For oven dishes with rounded corners, break a small corner off your lasagna sheet for a snugger fit.
Spread some of the meaty ragù over the pasta (remember it is a very rich sauce so not much is needed). Then spread another layer of béchamel over the ragù, then top with some grated parmesan.
Continue layering until you’ve used up all the sauce. About 2–4 layers depending on how much you use. Finally, top with béchamel sauce, sprinkle with the remainder of the cheese and place in the oven.
Bake for 30–40 minutes until the dish is bubbly, golden and brown on top. Serve immediately with a crisp, green salad.
Serves: 6 – 8
Cooks in: 55 minutes
Difficulty: Medium
Pairs well with Survivor Pinotage.
