Lasagna With Bechamel Sauce

A slice of lasagna being lifted out of a pan.

Lasagna With Bechamel Sauce

Lasagna with bechamel sauce layers tender pasta sheets with rich, creamy bechamel and savory meat sauce, creating a luxurious and indulgent version of the classic Italian dish.

4.89 from 9 votes

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Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 2 20

Total Time: 2 50

Servings: servings

Author: Deborah Rainford

Ingredients

1 kg (2 ⅕ lb) mince beef (ground beef) , Be sure to drain excess fat after cooking.
4-5 tablespoons (4 tablespoons) olive oil
1 (1) large onion, fienly chopped
250 g (2 ½ cups) mushrooms, finely chopped (optional)
3 cloves (3 cloves) garlic, grated or minced
1 (1) bay leaf
1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) dried oregano
1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) dried basil
2 tablespoons (2 tablespoons) tomato puree, tomato paste
300 ml (1 ⅕ cups) red wine, good quality
200 ml (⅘ cups) fresh beef stock made with a stock cube
400 g (13 ½ floz) tin chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons (2 tablespoons) red wine vinegar
12 (12) sheets lasagna
70 g (½ cups) gruyere cheese, grated
150 g (1 ¼ cups) mozzarella cheese, grated

For the bechamel

60 g (2 ⅛ oz) butter
60 g (2 ⅛ oz) plain flour
600 ml (2 ⅖ cups) whole milk
¼ teaspoon (¼ teaspoon) mixed spice *see notes

Instructions

Heat oil in a pan and cook the beef until it’s a deep golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pan. *see notes
Add the onion and the mushrooms to the pan with a little more of the oil if necessary, and fry for 10 minutes until golden. Then add the garlic, herbs, and tomato paste. Pour in the wine and bring to a boil and let it bubble for 3-5 minutes.
Add in the stock, chopped tomatoes and red wine vinegar and return the beef to the pan. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook gently partially covered for 2 ½ - 3 hours until the meat is really tender and the sauce is thick.
Meanwhile, make the bechamel sauce. Melt the butter in a pan and stir in the flour. Use a whisk to stir and cookout for a minute or 2 then gradually add in the milk whisking all the time, until you have a smooth thick sauce. Season well and add in the pinch of mixed spice.
Once the beef sauce is cooked remove the bay leaf. The sauce should be just thick enough that it coats the meat.
Preheat the oven to 200c/ 180 fan
Spoon ⅓ of the meat sauce into a large oven-proof dish. Top with 4 of the lasagna sheets and spoon over ⅓ of the bechamel and sprinkle that with ⅓ of the cheese mixture.
Repeat the layering process twice more ending with the bechamel and cheese. Bake for 30-35 minutes until bubbling and golden.

Notes

Don’t worry about the beef being crispy. It gets simmered for a long time and turns out meltingly tender. This is just to get lots of flavour at the beginning.
Nutmeg is traditional in bechamel sauce, but because Aldi doesn't stock it I’ve used the mixed spice instead and it’s a great substitute. They both work really well here.

Nutrition

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