Classic Lasagne

A classic Italian comfort food featuring layers of pasta, rich meat sauce, and creamy bechamel. This hearty dish is perfect for family dinners.

Ingredients

• lasagne sheets
• soya mince (or minced beef for non-vegetarian version)
• onions
• garlic cloves (optional)
• carrots
• celery/leek
• mushrooms
• tinned chopped tomatoes
• tomato paste
• vegetable stock
• milk
• flour
• butter
• nutmeg
• mozzarella (or grated cheese)
• parmesan cheese
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• dried herbs (oregano, thyme, bay leaves)

Steps

1. Prepare vegetables: Finely chop onions, garlic, carrots, celery/leek, and mushrooms.

2. Make (veggie) meat sauce:

   • Heat olive oil in a large pan
   • Fry onions and garlic until soft
   • Add soya mince and cook for 5 minutes
   • Add vegetables and cook for another 5 minutes
   • Add tomatoes, tomato paste, stock and herbs
   • Simmer for 15 minutes until thickened (longer if using minced beef)

3. Make bechamel sauce:

   • Ratio of flour to butter is 1:1, and about 250ml milk per 25g of flour
   • Melt butter in a saucepan
   • Add flour and start whisking
   • Gradually whisk in milk until smooth (it helps to have th emilk warmed up)
   • Cook until thickened
   • Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg

4. Assembly:

   • The first layer is soya mince sauce(or meat sauce), then pasta sheets, then soya mince sauce and bechamel
   • Repeat layers ending with bechamel
   • you can put some grated cheese on top of the bechamel
   • Top with mozzarella and parmesan

5. Bake:

   • Cover with foil
   • Bake at 180°C for 30 minutes
   • Remove foil and bake 15 more minutes until golden

6. Let rest for 10-15 minutes before serving