LASAGNE

This recipe can easily be doubled, and I would suggest layering it in a roasting pan.

Serves 6-8
675 g/1½ lb lasagne sheets
50 g/¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
For the meat sauce
4 onions, chopped
60 ml/4 tablespoons oil
900 g/2 lb minced beef
900 g/2 lb minced pork
2 tins (175 g/6 oz each) tomato paste
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Bouquet garni
500-600 ml/2-2½ cups stock
500 ml/2 cups red wine
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground allspice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the cheese sauce
110 g/½ cup butter
60 g/½ cup flour
1.3 liters/6 cups milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
3 egg yolks (optional)
125 g/1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, more for sprinkling
Large baking dish

1. For the meat sauce; In a heavy-based saucepan sauté the onions in the oil until soft but not brown. Add the beef and pork and cook, stirring, until lightly browned. Add the tomato paste, garlic, bouquet garni, half of the stock, red wine, nutmeg, allspice, salt, and pepper, and bring to the boil. Simmer, uncovered, for 45-50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick in dark. Add more stock during cooking if the sauce gets very thick and sticks to the pan. Discard the bouquet garni and taste for seasoning.

2. Meanwhile bring a roasting pan of salted water to the boil. Add half the lasagne sheets and simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking for 10-12 minutes or until almost tender but still firm to the teeth (al dente). Drain in to a colander with a slotted spoon rinse the lasagne sheets with hot water to wash away the starch and keep the lasagne in a bowl with a generous covering of warm water to prevent them from sticking together. Cook the remaining lasagne sheets in the same way.

3. For the cheese sauce: In a saucepan melt the butter, whisk in the flour, and when foaming, pour in the milk. Bring to a boil, stirring the sauce constantly, add salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and simmer 2 minutes. Take from the heat and beat in the egg yolks, if used to enrich the sauce, followed by the Parmesan cheese. Do not reboil the sauce or the cheese will cook into strings.

4. To assemble the lasagne: Spoon a layer of meat sauce in the bottom of 2 or 3 baking dishes. Drain several lengths of lasagne sheets on paper towels and lay them on the meat sauce. Add a layer of cheese sauce, followed by another layer of drained lasagne sheets. Continue adding layers until the dishes are full and all the ingredients are used, ending with a generous layer of cheese sauce. Sprinkle the top with more Parmesan cheese. You can prepare 48 hours ahead up to this point. Keep the lasagne, covered, in the refrigerator.

5. To serve: Bake the lasagne in a moderate oven 180°C/350°F for 1 hour or until it is bubbling and browned.