Italian mama food

One of my most favourite things to cook is lasagne - I love the slow process of making it, having the ragu bubbling away as I make the bechamel, and then trying not to eat the entire pan that evening. I made it for the first time the other day for Jess, here is the recipe I use (plagarised from the Italian food bible the Silver Spoon):

Lasagne (serves 6, or 1 very hungry Connie)

Olive oil

1 large onion

1 large carrot

500g beef mince (ideally not too lean and not too minced)

1 glass white wine

750g bottle passata

50g butter

50g plain flour

500ml milk

Salt & pepper

50g parmesan (grated from fresh)

Lasagne sheets

1. Finely dice the onion and carrot and fry gently in the olive oil until slightly browned

2. Add the mince, making sure to break up the clumps and fry until brown

3. Add in the white wine - I find this is an essential step!! And has to be white wine.

4. Pour in the passata and let the ragu bubble away for about 45 minutes until reduced to meaty loveliness

5. Make a roux by melting the butter on a low heat, and slowly adding in the flour

6. Gently cook (make sure it doesn't burn like I generally do) to get rid of the floury taste, before slowly adding in the milk and whisking as you go. Let the bechemel cook gently until it thickens. Season well. Here it all us bubbling away:

7. Build the lasagne in an ovenproof pan (rectangular is better, obviously) - layer the ragu, then a layer of pasta, then a layer of bechemel, until you use it all up - bechemel has to be the final layer at the top

8. Sprinkle parmesan over the top, and bake at 200C for 25-30 minutes, until the top is browned:

Very very good for lunchboxes :D