members recipes

Cost of recipe – £14.24 Cost per portion - £2.37 Serves 6 - 8 A big hit with the family and a great alternative to a roast on a Sunday.

Ingredients
500g good quality minced beef
20g cheddar cheese
6 dried lasagna sheets
1 knob (about 10g) butter
2 tbsp plain flour
500 ml semi skimmed milk
1 whole nutmeg (optional)
fresh basil
homemade pasta sauce
salt and pepper

Method
Pre heat the oven to 180c/gas mark 4/ 350f

Place the homemade pasta sauce in a large saucepan on a low heat.

Place a large frying pan on a medium to high heat. Crumble in the minced beef, breaking up lumps with a spoon. Cook for around 5 minutes until cooked through and brown.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer the mince to the pan of sauce. Mix together and leave on a low heat for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

To make the béchamel (white sauce), place a medium heat. Add the butter and melt. Stir in the flour to the butter and cook for 1 – 2 minutes to make a light brown paste (roux). Doing this ensures your sauce is smooth and doesn’t taste of flour. Now use a whisk to gradually stir in the milk and cook for around 5 more minutes until you have a smooth sauce. Add a little more milk if the sauce is too thick. Remove from the
heat, season with salt and pepper and 5 or 6 gratings of whole nutmeg. Stir the ragu sauce and remove from the heat.

Place a lasagna dish (around 25cm x 30cm) on a baking tray. Now it’s time to layer up the lasagna. Start with a layer of ragu, a good spoon full of béchamel on top and top with 2 pasta sheets laid next to each other. Repeat for another 2 times, finish with a layer of béchamel on top. Grate over the cheese and pick over a few basil leaves on top (optional).

Place in the oven and bake for 30 – 40 minutes or until golden on top and slightly bubbling. Remove from the oven and allow the lasagna to stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with salad and garlic bread