Italian beef lasagne and green salad

Beef Lasagne & Mixed Salad Recipe

70 Minutes
Serves: 2

Lasagne with layers of soft pasta and red wine beef bolognese, made with minced beef, onions, celery, mushrooms, tomatoes and panchetta, flavoured with red wine, oregano, Worcester sauce and garlic. This delicious lasagne is topped with a creamy homemade white sauce and a crunchy Parmesan topping, and served with a fresh green salad. 

Recipe Ingreds

Lasagne

  • 200 grams lasagne pasta
  • 25 grams parmesan or pecorino cheese

Meat sauce

  • 1 leaves bay leaf
  • black pepper (to taste)
  • 1 stick celery
  • 0.5 tsp oregano (dried)
  • 1 cloves garlic
  • 250 grams mince beef
  • 75 grams chestnut mushroom
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 0.5 whole onions
  • 60 grams pancetta
  • 175 ml Chianti red wine
  • salt (to taste)
  • 1 tin tinned tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 0.5 tsp worcester sauce

White sauce

  • 1 leaves bay leaf
  • black pepper (to taste)
  • 50 grams butter
  • 1 whole cloves
  • 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 425 ml milk
  • 0.5 whole onions
  • 50 grams plain flour
  • salt (to taste)

Salad

  • 100 grams cherry tomatoes
  • 0.5 whole cucumber
  • 40 grams Salad leaves

Recipe with pictures Steps

Step 1

  • place the milk in a pan
  • peel and finely slice the onion(s)
  • add to the pan
  • add the cloves, bay leaves and nutmeg to the pan
  • boil and then simmer the milk
  • cook for a minute or two
  • set a side to infuse
  • refrigerate for at least two hours preferably overnight

Step 2

  • heat the olive oil in the frying pan
  • peel and chop the onion(s) finely
  • add to the frying pan
  • dice the pancetta
  • add to the frying pan
  • cook for 3 to 4 mins

Step 3

  • wash and dice the celery
  • add to the frying pan
  • cook for 2 minutes
  • peel and crush the garlic using the garlic crusher or chop finely
  • add to the frying pan

Step 4

  • wash and slice the mushrooms
  • add to the frying pan
  • cook for 3 to 4 mins
  • lower the heat
  • cook the vegetables till they caramelise

Step 5

  • add the mince beef to the frying pan
  • cook till brown
  • add the oregano, bay leaves, canned tomatoes, red wine, tomato puree and Worcester sauce to the frying pan
  • season with salt and pepper
  • boil and then simmer
  • cook for 20 mins

Step 6

  • while the bolognese is cooking
  • half fill a medium pan with water and boil
  • add a spot of olive oil and a pinch of salt to the boiling water
  • add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until tender but with a slight bite

Step 7

  • to make the bechamel sauce
  • Take the infused milk from the fridge and strain
  • melt the butter in a small pan
  • add the flour stir continually to make a paste
  • cook for 5 minutes Stir continually

Step 8

  • add the milk gradually initially the sauce will turn into a thick paste Stir continually
  • continue adding the milk if lumps appear whisk to remove
  • Stirring continuously to avoid burning
  • cook to form a medium thick sauce
  • season with salt and pepper

Step 9

  • set the oven to 180C 350F or gas mark 5
  • drain the pasta
  • rinse the pasta well to ensure it doesnt stick
  • finely grate the parmesan

Step 10

  • using a rectangular oven proof dish layer the lasagne
  • add the bolognaise sauce
  • then the lasagne
  • then the bechamel sauce
  • then a layer of parmesan

Step 11

  • Repeat until all the ingredients are used up ending with a layer of parmesan
  • if cooking extra for the freezer layer the extra pasta, bolognaise and sauce to form an additional lasagne when complete allow to cool and then place in freezer
  • place in the oven
  • cook for 30 mins

Step 12

  • wash mixed leaves and place in a serving bowl.
  • place a cross on the top of the cucumber
  • then slice the cucumber to form quarters
  • sprinkle over the salad leaves
  • wash the cherry tomatoes and then slice in half
  • sprinkle over the salad leaves

Step 13

  • remove the lasagne from the oven
  • serve with salad

Recipe Utensils

  • 1 chopping board
  • 2 chopping board
  • 1 frying pan
  • 1 Garlic crusher
  • 1 grater
  • 1 large bowl
  • 1 large knife
  • 2 large knife
  • 2 medium pan
  • 1 rectangular pie dish
  • 2 sieve
  • 1 small pan

How to make lasagne and salad

Lasagne or as the Italians would say lasagna is a delicious dish of layered minced beef in red wine, pasta, bechamel sauce and cheese. This dish goes perfectly with salad in the summer and garlic bread in the winter

Make the beef bolognaise sauce,

 Lightly frying the onions pancetta, celery and garlic add the mushrooms and cook till the vegetables are lightly caramelized.  Add the mince beef and cook till browned, add the herbs, sauces, tomatoes and red wine. Cook gently to allow the flavours to combine.

Make the béchamel sauce

Make a roux with the butter and flour slowly add the milk till it is all fully combined.

Build the beef lasagne

Cook the lasagne sheets rinse and set aside. Build the lasagne starting with bolognaise then pasta repeat finishing with a pasta layer add the white sauce and sprinkle with cheese cook till golden brown

Can you reheat or freeze lasagne?

Lasagne can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheated, lasagne should be frozen before it is baked, lasagne can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months

Top tips

If you are in a hurry and short on time use a pre-made white sauce

When to make Italian beef Lasagna

This Italian pasta bake is the perfect evening meal for summer or winter, in summer we serve it with salad and in winter with garlic bread

Who will love this dish?

This dish is great for all the family, you can serve it for a weekend dinner, a midweek meal or a family get together. Its also great for an Italian dinner party

Italian dinner party menu main course

Lasagne makes the perfect main for a dinner party especially an Italian themed party we serve it with a simple ricotta and tomato tart for starters and a simple apple cake for dessert


What to serve with lasagne?

Our favourite side dish for lasagne is salad, we serve it with a simple fresh tomato and green salad, The secret is to keep the side dish simple and fresh to compliment the lasagne, some alternative side salads to go with lasagne could be a

Simple tomato salad
Caesar salad with croutons
Grated cabbage and carrot salad with mustard dressing
Herb salad
Grated courgette and cucumber salad

What is lasagne?

Lasagna originated in Italy, and is a stack of meat ragu, and pasta. The meat ragu can be made of pork, beef or a mixture of pork and beef. The dish also includes an Italian cheese usually a ricotta, Parmesan, or mozzarella. Lasagne is a pasta bake and as such is oven baked. Traditional in Italy there were two forms of lasagne di carnevale made with a selection of meats hard boiled eggs ricotta and mozzarella and Lasagne al forno which is more like the lasagne we know today with meat ragu and white sauce.

Other beef pasta recipe ideas

Chianti Baked Meatballs

Spaghetti Bolognese

Succulent Crispy Chilli Beef with Egg Noodles

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