Creamy Lasagne with Pancetta

Ingredients

• 1 tbspolive oil
• 100 gpancetta — diced
• 400 gbeef mince
• 1onion — finely chopped
• 2 clovesgarlic — minced
• 1carrot — diced
• 2 stalkscelery — finely chopped
• 1red bell pepper — diced
• 2 tbsptomato paste
• 50 mlred wine
• 500 mlpassata
• 100 mlbeef stock
• 1 tspdried oregano
• 1 tspdried thyme
• 100 mlfull-fat milk
• 10lasagne sheets
• 125 gmozzarella — torn into pieces
• 50 gParmesan cheese — grated
• salt — to taste
• black pepper — to taste

Method

1. 1

   Heat a large frying pan and fry the pancetta without extra oil for a few minutes until lightly crispy. Scoop out of the pan and set aside.

2. 2

   Add the olive oil. Fry the onion, garlic, carrot, and celery for about 5 minutes over medium heat.

3. 3

   Add the beef mince and cook until browned and crumbled.

4. 4

   Add the red bell pepper and fry for about 4 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.

5. 5

   Pour in the red wine and let it reduce for 2 to 3 minutes.

6. 6

   Add the passata, beef stock, oregano, thyme, and fried pancetta. Season with salt and black pepper. Let the sauce simmer gently without a lid for about 35 minutes, stirring regularly.

7. 7

   Stir the milk into the sauce and let it simmer for another 10 minutes. The sauce should be thickened enough to create firm lasagne layers.

8. 8

   Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200 °C (fan assisted).

9. 9

   Spread a thin layer of sauce over the bottom of an oven dish. Cover with lasagne sheets and then with more sauce. Repeat the layers until all the sauce and lasagne sheets are used.

10. 10

    Spread the mozzarella over the top layer and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

11. 11

    Bake the lasagne for about 30 minutes in the oven, until the top is golden brown and the sauce is gently bubbling around the edges.

12. 12

    After baking, let the lasagne rest for about 10 minutes before slicing.