Five Veg Beef Lasagne
An extremely high ranking contender when it comes to family classics. Nothing screams comfort like lasagne! This version is packed full of veggies and is the ideal recipe to batch cook. There is little more satisfying than knowing that there is a back-up lasagne in the freezer when you just can't face cooking. This recipe makes 6 regular portions and is delicious served with fresh side salad dressed with a little lemon juice or balsamic.
Method
Based on 6 servings, adjust as needed.
Step 1
Make the beef ragu as this needs to simmer for about 30 minutes (or low and slow in the oven @ 140°C for a couple of hours if you have time to spare). Start by preparing all of your Ingredients. Dice the carrots, courgettes, red onion, chop the cloves of garlic and **chop or slice the mushrooms.
Step 2
Place a large heavy-based pan or casserole dish on a medium heat. Add the olive oil and add all the chopped vegetables, except for the mushrooms. These will get added later. Season the vegetables with a generous pinch of salt and pepper and allow to sweat (cook without colour) for 5-6 minutes.
Step 3
Turn up the heat to high and add the beef mince into the vegetables. Break up the mince using a wooden spoon or spatula and cook for 6-7 minutes until browned all over. Squeeze in the tomato puree and add dried oregano. Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Step 4
Add the red wine (optional). Bring to the boil and cook out the wine until it has reduced by half. Pour in the tinned tomatoes, beef stock and sliced mushrooms. Bring to the boil again before turning the heat to a low simmer and cooking, partially covered, for a minimum of 30 minutes. Stir regularly to prevent the ragu from sticking. As mentioned in the intro, you could also transfer the pan to the oven with a lid on. Cook at 180°C for 45 minutes or 140°C for 2 hours.
Step 5
While the ragu is cooking, you can make the Bechamel sauce. Into a small saucepan add butter. Turn the heat to medium and once the butter has melted, add flour. Using a wooden spoon, mix until the flour and butter form a paste. Now you need to switch to a whisk and add the milk in 3 goes. Only add the next splash once the sauce in boiling and lump-free. Keep whisking and repeat the process until all the milk has gone and you have a velvety smooth sauce. Add the grated parmesan cheese, season with salt and pepper and turn off the heat.
Step 6
Now for the assembly! Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan. Take a large baking dish that is roughly 30cm x 25cm. Spoon in half of the beef ragu and lay on half of the sheets of fresh lasagne pasta. Spoon on the remaining ragu, top with the remaining sheets of lasagne pasta and finish with the Bechamel sauce (which will need a final whisk before pouring).
Step 7
Place the lasagne onto a tray and put into the hot oven to bake for 45 minutes. Leave to stand for a further few minutes while you lay the table and dress the salad leaves (if using) with a little lemon juice or balsamic vinegar and a drizzle of olive oil. Place the lasagne and the salad in the middle of the table and tuck in.
- Ingredients
- Based on 6 servings
-
250g Fresh Lasagne Sheets 1x Sainsbury's Fresh Egg Lasagne Sheets 250g -
2 tbsp Tomato Puree 1x Sainsbury's Tomato Puree, Double Concentrate 200g -
50g Parmesan Cheese, grated 1x Sainsbury's Grana Padano Cheese 200g -
3 Cloves Garlic, peeled and chopped 1x Sainsbury's Garlic -
300g Mushrooms, chopped or sliced 1x Sainsbury's Closed Cup White Mushrooms 300g -
500g Lean Beef Mince 1x Sainsbury's British Beef Mince 5% Fat , Taste the Difference 500g -
2 Carrots, peeled and diced 2x Sainsbury’s Carrots Loose -
2 Courgettes 2x Sainsbury's Courgettes Loose -
190 ml Red Wine, approx 1x Yellow Tail Shiraz Red Wine 187ml -
100g Mixed Leaf Salad 1x Sainsbury's Italian Style Salad 100g -
2 tbsp Olive Oil 1x Sainsbury's Olive Oil 500ml -
400g Chopped Tomatoes 1x Sainsbury's Chopped Tomatoes Can 400g -
50g Butter 1x Sainsbury's British Butter, Unsalted 250g -
50g Plain Flour 1x Sainsbury's Plain Flour 500g -
560 ml Milk, or any milk 1x Sainsbury's British Whole Milk 568ml (1 pint) -
1 tsp Dried Oregano 1x Sainsbury's Oregano 12g -
1 Red Onion, peeled and finely diced 1x Sainsbury's Red Onions Loose -
400mls Beef Stock 1x Kallo Organic Beef Stock Cubes 8x11g -
Maldon Salt, to taste 1x Maldon Sea Salt Flakes 250g