Beef Lasagne

    500g beef mince
    250g packet of dried lasagne pasta sheets
    250g tin of chopped tomatoes
    2 beef stock cubes
    1 large diced onion
    50g of tomato paste
    250g grated mozzarella
    100g grated parmesan

    50g butter
    50g plain flour
    250ml milk
    grated nutmeg
    a teaspoon each of dried basil and rosemary
    plain flour
    cornflour

Preheat oven to 180C. Fry the onion in olive oil over a medium heat until golden.  Add the beef mince and fry until cooked through. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, stock cubes, basil and rosemary and continue cooking until the sauce has been reduced, stirring occasionally.  Set aside and make the white sauce. Add the butter and an equal amount of flour to a saucepan and stir over a low heat until the mixture has turned pale and is bubbling. Add the milk and whisk to blend the butter/flour mixture.  Stir continuously until the milk starts to boil and thicken.  If the milk is not thickening sufficiently at boiling point, add a bit more plain flour. Once the sauce is of the right consistency, add the grated parmesan and nutmeg to taste. In a large flat dish, spoon a quarter of the meat mixture.  Sprinkle with a handful of mozzarella cheese and top with a layer of pasta sheets.  Top this with a layer of the white sauce. Continue in this manner until all ingredients have been used up, preferably finishing with a layer of pasta sheets topped with a think layer of white sauce. Place in the oven at 180C for half an hour or until pasta sheets are cooked. through.

Serves 4

Serve with Langmeil Earthworks Cabernet Sauvignon 2005   £8.50

 Copyright 2007