Lasagne

My apologies for the lack of blogging recently, I would love to blame it on my essay but actually we have been eating later and when I sat down to eat I was so hungry I forgot to take a picture! Lasagne is my favourite dinner, it is probably one of the meals that I could not live without. My lasagne is not a traditional Italian one, according to my mum, as it features a lot of cheese sauce. Incidentally, when I made this there was more cheese sauce over the hob and sink than there was in the lasagne, it is a messy dish to make, especially if you're the most clumsy cook alive - like me - but it is so worth it.


Serves 4 very hungry girls or 6 normal appetites. Set oven to 200 Degrees C.
Ingredients

For the Cheese Sauce:
25g Butter
25g Flour
300ml Milk
2 Large Handfuls Parmesan Cheese (Or Cheddar)
2 Tbsp Ricotta (Optional)
Salt & Pepper

Melt the butter and stir in the flour to make a roux, then add the milk little by little until it makes a smooth white sauce, add the cheese and leave to melt. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Once done leave to the side.

For the Meat Sauce:
1 Pack Lean Beef Mine
1 Pack Lardons
4 Carrots (Diced)
1 Stick Celery (Diced)
1 Onion (Diced)
2 Cloves Garlic (Finely Chopped)
2 Jars Passata
Salt, Pepper & Oregano

Fry the onions, garlic and celery until soft, add the mince and the lardons and fry until browned. Add a pinch of salt, pepper and oregano. Add in the passata and the carrots and leave to simmer for 10 minutes.

Other Ingredients:
1 Pack Lasagne Sheets (Fresh or Dried)
1 Ball Mozzarella (Finely Sliced)

Once both the sauces are done, layer the bottom of a rectangular baking dish with 2/3 spoonfuls of meat sauce and cover with the pasta sheets (you may have to cut the sheets down to the right size). On top of the pasta, spoon over a quarter of the cheese sauce and spread it so it covers all the pasta. Repeat these steps four times at least. Cover the top of the final layer of cheese sauce with the mozzarella slices and bake in the oven for 20 minutes until golden brown on top.

Even if you just make this for two people, it freezes really well. I used to bake about 6 portions and freeze them individually so when you can't be bothered to cook you have a home-made ready meal just waiting to be microwaved!