INGREDIENTS

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves , crushed
  • 50 g pancetta , chopped
  • 1 large onion , chopped
  • 1 large carrot , grated
  • 1 celery , chopped
  • 125 g mushrooms , chopped
  • 1 kg minced beef
  • 600 g chopped canned tomatoes
  • 250 ml red wine
  • 250 ml beef stock
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 500 g english spinach
  • 60 g butter
  • 4 tablespoons plain flour
  • 500 ml milk
  • 200 g ricotta cheese
  • 1 pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
  • 50 g grated parmesan cheese
  • 250 g fresh lasagna sheets
  • 250 g Fontina cheese , sliced
  • 100 g grated parmesan cheese , extra

DIRECTIONS

  1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Cook the garlic, panchetta and fresh vegetables for 5 minutes, stirring.
  2. Increase the heat, add the beef and brown. Add the tomato, wine, stock, oregano and tomato paste.
  3. Bring to the boil, stirring, then simmer for 50 minutes. Meanwhile steam the spinach to wilt; squeeze dry.
  4. To make the sauce, melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan and ook the flour to make a smooth paste. Remove from the heat and slowly stir in the milk until smooth.
  5. Return to the heat and stir until the sauce boils and thikens. Cook over low heat for a minute, then stir in the ricotta, nutmeg and parmesan and cook until melted. Preheat the oven to 180c.
  6. Grease a lasagne dish. Layer one-third of the meat sauce, then pasta sheets, then 185ml of cheese sauce. Top with half the spinach and half the fontina. Continue layering; top with extra parmesan. bake for 45 minutes.