Serves 8
INGREDIENTS
For the Italian Meat Sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup pancetta, diced
5oz chopped portobello or chestnut mushrooms
1 yellow onion, very finely chopped
1 carrot, grated
1 stick celery, very finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
4 tablespoons Bomba! XXX
3 teaspoons Taste #5 Umami Bomb
1lb minced beef
1 teaspoons dried oregano
3 bay leaves
14oz can chopped tomatoes
½ cup red wine (for extra deliciousness, I add an extra half glass of marsala)
½ cup beef stock
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the White Sauce:
2 ½ cups milk
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
2oz butter
2 teaspoons Taste # 5 Umami Bomb
nutmeg (optional)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
To assemble
10-12 lasagne sheets, which ever you like to use (I use fresh, but please follow the directions on your individual pasta)
grated Parmesan
Method
- Heat the oil in a large skillet and fry the pancetta and mushrooms for 3 or 4 minutes, until browned and the fat of the pancetta is rendered. Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic and sauté on a low heat, stirring regularly until the vegetables have begun to give off their liquid, soften and caramelize slightly. Be patient with this stage, as waiting for the vegetables to cook down and caramelize properly will add a beautiful depth of flavor to the meat.
- Add the mince to the pan and cook, stirring regularly, until browned. Add the oregano, bay leaves, tomatoes, red wine, marsala (if using), stock, Bomba and Umami Bomb. Bring to the boil and then lower the heat, cover and simmer on a really low heat for 25-45 minutes (if you have time, you can let this simmer for up to 3 hours on a very low heat, basically the longer the better)!
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Then begin to make the white sauce; place the milk, flour and butter in a medium saucepan. Gradually bring to simmering point, whisking continuously, for about 5 minutes, or until the sauce becomes thick and smooth. Reduce the heat to low, and allow the sauce to cook very gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season the sauce with the Umami Bomb, a grating of nutmeg (if using), salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning of the meat sauce (this won’t need much salt), drizzling in some olive oil to finish. (Depending on how dry the meat sauce has become, it may be a good idea to add some hot water or extra stock to thin it down slightly before assembling your lasagne).
- Butter a large ceramic dish and ladle in some meat sauce, then some white sauce, and cover with a layer of the pasta sheets. Repeat this step 3 times, until you get to the final layer onto which only the white sauce should be ladled. Cover with grated Parmesan (I also like to add a couple of dabs of butter to the top) and bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbling. Leave to stand for 5 minutes before serving.
