My name is Anthony and I’m an Italian living in Canberra, Australia. I love to make a big fat mess in the kitchen! I’m passionate about good food and lots of it.
Today, I’m making Lasagne using a secret recipe – 3 types of meat, cloves, and star anise in the ragu! Once you try it, you’ll never make your lasagne any other way.
Follow my step by step approach and friends and family will be asking you what your trick is…
Try this at home, let me know how you go and how you made it your own.
Ingredients:
– Pork Mince
– Beef Mince
– Veal Mince
– Olive Oil
– Red Wine
– Cloves
– Star Anise
– Pasta Sheets
– Onion (1-2)
– Carrot (3-4)
– Celery (3-4 Stalks)
– Garlic
– San Marzano Peeled Tomatoes (2.5kg)
– Butter
– Milk
– Flour
– Nutmeg
– Peas
– Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
– Mozzarella (1.5kg)
– Salt & Pepper
Method for Ragu:
– Grind cloves and star anise
– Oil pot
– Once hot, add pork mince
– Season with salt, pepper, cloves and star anise
– Leave meat to rest and deglaze pot with red wine
– Repeat steps 2-5 for other 2 mince meats
– Preheat oven at 200 degrees celsius
– Grate onion on large side of grater
– Add olive to pan and turn on heat
– Add onions to pan and begin to sweat them
– Add garlic cloves to pan
– Grate carrot and add to pan
– Cut and grate 4 celery stalks, add to pan
– Add a few pinches of salt
– Add a glass of cold water
– Add 2.5kg of San Marzano tomatoes
– Stir and increase heat to medium high
– Squash tomatoes with potato masher
– If pot is too sweet, add some vinegar
– After 10 minutes of simmering, add cooked meat
– Turn down heat, cover with lid, and stir every 15 minutes for an hour
– Cook for another 10-15 minutes whilst preparing bechamel sauce
Method for Bechamel Sauce:
– Add 40-50g of butter to pot
– Add 40-50g of flour to pot (equal parts)
– Cook for 3-4 minutes, pushing down with your spoon
– Add a dash of milk to take the heat off
– Whisk to mix
– Once a thicker consistency, add the rest of the milk (1-1.5L)
– Stir on medium to ensure it doesn’t burn
– Cook for 15 minutes total and leave to rest for 2
– Turn heat to low and add nutmeg
– Taste for flavour and adjust as needed
– Turn off Heat
Method for Lasagne:
– Grate 70g-80g of parmigiano reggiano cheese
– Grate 500g of Mozzarella
– Measure and cut pasta sheet to cover whole tray
– Add liquid from sauce to bottom of tray
– Add a dash of warm water
– Layer pasta on top
– Layer meat sauce on top
– Layer parmigiano reggiano, peas, and mozzarella
– Layer bechamel on top and spread evenly
– Continue to build layers!
– Drop Oven to 170 degrees celsius
– Cook for 1 hour
– Let sit for 10 minutes then serve!
ENJOY!
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