RAGU WITH LASAGNA

Serves 6

Ingredients

Basic Ragu Mixture - 200 grams approx
250 grams mozzarella
100 grams parmesan
12 good quality pre-prepared lasagne sheets*
bechamel sauce

Method

Set oven at 200 degrees C

Take an ovenproof dish and put a little ragu on the bottom with some juice

Then a layer of overlapping pasta sheets, then mozzarella, then the bechamel sauce which is put on in blobs - do not try and spread over the pasta and mozzarella, this will happen during the cooking. Start with small amounts on the bottom layer because the sauce from the top trickles down as it cooks. Finish with parmesan.

Then put on another layer of ragu and juice on top of cheese and bechamel. This time use a bit more bechamel and as layers go up, use more.

As you make the layers, alternate the direction of the pasta sheets.

Finish the top with parmesan to give a crust.

Lower oven heat. Cook covered. with double foil in a slow oven. The steam should be retained and moisture drop back onto the pasta.

Cook for 45 minutes at low heat.

Serve cut into rectangles

Notes

If using pre-cooked pasta, bechamel should be more liquid, not too thick.

Some people try to take shortcuts with bechamel by using hot milk. It then cooks very quickly but the flour does not cook and it becomes gluey)

Some cooks put cheese in the bechamel which can take away from the true ragu flavour. And others add bechamel to the ragu. This really spoils the lasagna as you don't get the colour contrast of the different layers - meat, pasta, bechamel sauce.