Lasagne with Beef and Béchamel Sauce – A Classic Favourite

When Anthonij Rupert Wyne approached me to create a classic lasagne to pair with their Terra del Capo Sangiovese, I said ‘hell yes!’. For one, I absolutely love the wine, and two, I haven’t done a classic lasagne recipe on Drizzleanddip in the eight and a half years I’ve been in existence.

I’ve been making lasagne for my entire adult life, and aside from the famous vegetarian recipe I published in my first cookbook, it’s something I never use a recipe for.

I make the Bolognese component from scratch and with whatever I have available. There would always be onions and garlic, loads of tomatoes. I would generally add some fresh or dried herb and a decent splash of wine, and cook this for ages to intensify the flavour.

The white sauce or béchamel is easy, and I would always add nutmeg, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper and some cheese.

I set about doing much research for this classic Italian recipe because I felt there was a little pressure. First up was Marcella Hazan’s recipe. The women created the life-changing tomato sauce with butter so I figured she was a good place to start. I also reviewed other famous Italian chefs recipes like Genarro Contaldo, Antonio Carluccio and Giorgio Locatelli.

I read Felicity Cloak’s article in the Guardian on ‘how to cook a perfect lasagne’ (she always does a thorough comparison between many of the big-name cooks & chefs). I glanced at a few videos and peeked at Jamie and Nigella’s versions too before starting to feel overwhelmed.

The notion of a classic lasagne seemed so diverse, although a few commonalities began to become apparent. There also appeared to be an Italian, British and American version, so I think you should just make what you enjoy.

I settled on a combination of what I’d read and what I felt resonated with me in terms of my experience in Italy and Italian restaurants and added a dash of what I loved about lasagne. Whilst adding cheese other than a smattering of Parmesan is controversial, Genarro added two types between each layer and to the béchamel in one of his versions, which I felt, was overwhelmingly cheesy.

He also said he loved using Cheddar, so that opened the gates for me to choose the Dalewood Huegenot, which is the most delicious mature, hard cheese that leans towards Parmesan and Cheddar without the saltiness and the burn.

It also happens to be made around the corner from the Terra del Capo Sangiovese, so from a terroir perspective, I thought they would marry beautifully. I also used the wine in the recipe as well as to drink alongside it.

In most of the classic versions, there was no garlic used and no herbs, just sofrito (onion, carrot and celery), wine and tomatoes. Marcella omits the béchamel and kind of incorporates it in the ragu, which didn’t appeal to me. I like a lot of it, so I wasn’t shy with my quantities in this recipe either. My favourite part is when it bubbles up over the edges while baking.

As for the pasta, initially I wanted to make the pasta from scratch but then I had a little laugh and thought how many people will actually want to do that? I love using dry pasta that doesn’t require any cooking. It’s so convenient for a dish that is already complicated. It also soaks up any excess liquid making the lasagne firmer, and there is nothing worse than overly sloppy lasagne. I like the dish to be saucy but still maintain some structural integrity. By all means, go ahead and use fresh sheets of pasta if you prefer, and I know I will get around to doing this again in the future when I happen to find some time.

The Terra del Capo Sangiovese is a bold wine with rich fruit flavours that was matured in French oak barrels for 15 months. It stands up beautifully to the richness of this classic lasagne.

To make lasagne in advance

Lasagne is an excellent make-ahead dish. You can assemble it up to 24 hours in advance, cover tightly with foil, and refrigerate until ready to bake. When cooking from cold, add an extra 10–15 minutes to the baking time.
It also freezes beautifully—either unbaked or fully cooked—making it ideal for meal prep or entertaining. Simply thaw overnight in the fridge before baking or reheating.

Tips for making lasagne

I highly recommend making the Bolognese component the day before. This takes ages to cook down, but it will take the pressure off when you assemble the dish. The flavours also develop overnight. I tried to get to a 3-hour cook but found the sauce getting quite dry after 2, so I added a ¼ cup of water and took it to two and a half hours. I can’t make a béchamel without adding a good heaped teaspoon of Dijon. I know this is not remotely classic, but it livens up the sauce and amplifies the flavour of cheese, so I insist on it.

You might also like Marcella Hazan’s Lasagna With Bolognese Sauce Recipe.

Recipe – serves 6

A classic lasagne recipe

A classic lasagne recipe with beef mince and bechamel sauce.

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Ragu / Bolognese

• 4 thick slices streaky bacon 6 thin slices finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 1 carrot finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk finely chopped
• 250 grams beef mince
• 250 grams pork mince
• 50 grams free range chicken livers finely chopped (optional)
• ½ glass red wine Terra del Capo Sangiovese
• 2 x 430gms tins chopped tomatoes I used Italian tomatoes
• Salt & pepper

Bechamel

• 80 gms butter
• 90 gms 1/2 cup flour
• 800-850 ml milk
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/8 th of a nutmeg grated
• Salt & pepper
• 100 gms very strong aged mature hard cheese such as Parmesan 20+ month matured Cheddar or Dalewood Huguenot + a little extra for sprinkling on the top
• Aprox 9 x sheets of dried lasagne pasta no cooking required – or enough to make 3 layers

Instructions

To make the Bolognese

• Heat the olive oil and butter in a large heavy bottomed pan or pot and fry the bacon over a medium heat until just turning crispy.
• Add the onions, carrot and celery and cook over a gentle heat until they are soft and the onions become translucent – about 8 minutes (stir almost all the time).
• Add the meat and fry this for a bout 5 minutes breaking up the particles with a wooden spoon.
• Once most of the water has cooked off, add the wine and allow most of this to cook off. Add the two tins of tomato and season with salt and pepper and then simmer gently over the lowest flame for 2 – 2.5 hours with the lid on. Remove the lid for the last 15 minutes or cook for a further 15 minutes until it is fairly dry.

To make the béchamel

• Melt the butter in a heavy based medium sized put. Add the flour and stir to cook through. Slowly add the milk about 100ml at time and stir constantly with a whisk to prevent lumps from forming. When the sauce will thicken no more and you have the consistency of a thickish custard, add the cheese, nutmeg and pepper. Cook this until the cheese has melted and then add the salt if needed (always add the salt after the cheese as the cheese is quite salty). Add a little more milk if necessary.
• Pre heat the oven to 180C / 350F

Assemble the lasagne in the following order

• 1/3 Bolognese sauce on the bottom
• 1 layer of pasta
• 2nd 1/3 of Bolognese sauce
• 1/3 of béchamel
• 2nd layer of pasta
• Final 1/3 bolognese
• 2nd 1/3 béchamel
• 3rd layer of pasta
• Final 1/3 of béchamel
• Sprinkle with additional grated cheese
• Loosely cover the dish with foil and bake for 40 – 45 minutes removing the foil about half way through.
• Serve with crusty bread and of course the Terra del Capo Sangiovese.

Notes

Storage and reheating instructions for lasagne

To store (fridge):

• Allow the lasagne to cool completely at room temperature.
• Cover tightly with foil or transfer to an airtight container.
• Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To freeze (before or after baking):

• Wrap the uncooked or cooked lasagne well in foil or freezer wrap, or portion into containers.
• Label with the date and freeze for up to 3 months.
• If freezing unbaked lasagne, thaw overnight in the fridge before baking as usual.

To reheat:

• Reheat individual portions in the microwave for 2–3 minutes, covered, until piping hot.
• For larger portions or a full dish, reheat covered with foil in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 25–30 minutes, until hot throughout.
• Remove foil for the last few minutes to re-crisp the top.

Servings: 6

Author: Sam Linsell

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