Jamie’s Classic Family Lasagne

Ingredients

• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 100 g smoked streaky bacon
• Olive oil
• 1 kg minced beef
• 1 kg minced pork
• 4 carrots
• 2 onions
• 4 celery sticks
• 2 heaped tbsp tomato purée
• 4 x 400 g tins plum tomatoes
• 350 g dried lasagne sheets
• 150 g mature Cheddar
• 2 medium leeks
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 4 tbsp plain flour
• 1 litre semi-skimmed milk
• 1 whole nutmeg

Method

1. Chop rosemary and bacon.
2. Fry them in olive oil.
3. Add beef and pork mince.
4. Cook until liquid evaporates.
5. Grate the Cheddar.
6. Finely chop carrots and onions.
7. Add them to the mince.
8. Add finely chopped celery.
9. Cook until vegetables soften.
10. Add tomato purée and tomatoes.
11. Add water from the tomato tins.
12. Simmer gently for about 2 hours.
13. Slice the leeks.
14. Cook leeks with bay leaves.
15. Stir in flour and milk.
16. Cook until sauce thickens.
17. Blend sauce until smooth.
18. Add half the cheese and nutmeg.
19. Heat oven to 190°C.
20. Season the ragù.
21. Reserve half the ragù for freezing.
22. Layer ragù in a deep dish.
23. Add white sauce and lasagne sheets.
24. Repeat the layers three times.
25. Finish with white sauce.
26. Top with remaining cheese.
27. Bake for 45 minutes.
28. Rest for 5–10 minutes.