A Classic Meaty Lasagne (Using Home Made Ground Beef)

So as promised from my last post, this recipe - even though a known classic - shows one of the things that becomes of my Home Made Ground Meat. 

Lasagnes are always a favourite with me, but is even better if you take the time to "add some life" into one of the main key ingredients; in this case the meat. Apart from that the rest of this recipe is similar to your basic lasagnes, but for me this particular recipe has undergone various fine-tuning over time to arrive at. 

Ingredients

All the good stuff

Red Sauce:

• 1 Large Onion (coarsely chopped)
• 2 Garlic Cloves (crushed)
• 100g Smoked Bacon (diced)
• 3 tbsp Dried Oregano
• 2 (400g) Chopped Tomatoes
• 25g Sun-dried Tomatoes (chopped)
• 300g Ground Beef (you can use more if you prefer)
• 2 tbsp Tomato Puree
• 150ml Vegetable Stock (or Beef Stock)
• 1Chilli (finely chopped)
• 4 tbsp Olive Oil

White Sauce: 

• 600ml Whole Milk
• 60g Butter
• 70g Plain Flour
• 75g Ricotta Cheese
• 4 tbsp Lemon Juice
• 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
• Salt (To taste)

Other Ingredients:

• 300g Lasagne Sheets
• 125g Mozarella (sliced)
• 80g Parmesan (grated)

Method

Red Sauce:

1. Heat olive oil in a sauce pan over low heat
2. Add onions and garlic and saute until translucent
3. Add bacon and ground beef and stir together thoroughly. Increase heat to medium and cook for about 5 minutes
4. Add chilli, tomato puree, chopped tomatoes, dried oregano, sun-dried tomatoes, vegetable stock. 
5. Reduce heat and simmer for about 30. Stir intermittently
6. Remove from heat and leave to cool to about room temperature

White Sauce:

1. Melt butter in a sauce pan over low heat
2. Add flour and stir vigorously to form a paste
3. Now, slowly add in the milk while continuously stirring until the consistency thickens
4. Add ricotta and stir in until melted
5. Remove from heat and add lemon juice and black pepper, and then salt to taste
6. Leave to cool to about room temperature

Layering Sequence:

1. Into an oven dish, spread a quarter of the red sauce on the base 
2. Layer the lasagne sheets to completely cover the sauce underneath
3. Spread a quarter of the white sauce
4. Sprinkle a handful of the parmesan
5. Repeat the layering sequence beginning with the red sauce again
6. Finish layering with the red sauce
7. Sprinkle the rest of the parmesan
8. Finish layering with the mozzarella slices

Serves 6