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Ingredients

  • 2 olive oil, plus extra for the dish
  • 750g lean beef mince
  • 90g pack prosciutto
  • 800g passata or half our basic tomato sauce
  • 200ml hot beef stock
  • nutmeg
  • 300g fresh lasagne sheets
  • white sauce (find a recipe in the method, or use shop-bought)
  • 125g ball mozzarella, torn into thin strips

Method

  • STEP 1

    To make the meat sauce, heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan and cook 750g lean beef mince in two batches for about 10 mins until browned all over.

  • STEP 2

    Finely chop 4 slices of prosciutto from a 90g pack, then stir through the meat mixture.

  • STEP 3

    Pour over 800g passata or half our basic tomato sauce recipe and 200ml hot beef stock. Add a little grated nutmeg, then season.

  • STEP 4

    Bring up to the boil, then simmer for 30 mins until the sauce looks rich.

  • STEP 5

    Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and lightly oil an ovenproof dish (about 30 x 20cm).

  • STEP 6

    Spoon one third of the meat sauce into the dish, then cover with some fresh lasagne sheets from a 300g pack. Drizzle over roughly 130g ready-made or homemade white sauce.

  • STEP 7

    Repeat until you have three layers of pasta. Cover with the remaining 390g white sauce, making sure you can’t see any pasta poking through.

  • STEP 8

    Scatter 125g torn mozzarella over the top.

  • STEP 9

    Arrange the rest of the prosciutto on top. Bake for 45 mins until the top is bubbling and lightly browned.

RECIPE TIPS

How to prepare lasagne and freeze ahead

Assemble the lasagne, then freeze (don't cook it first). If baking from frozen, add another 45 minutes to the cooking time. You can also freeze the meat sauce by itself for up to 3 months.

How long to cook lasagne

Lasagne takes roughly 45 mins to cook until deep golden on the top and crisp around the edges (the best bits for some). If you have prepared a lasagne and chilled it before baking it should still only take 45 mins. Once cooked, a lasagne will be too hot to eat straight away and is best left for at least 10-15 minutes to cool down for a better flavour. In Italy, baked pasta dishes are often served just lukewarm.

How to reheat lasagne

Leftover cooked lasagne can be covered and chilled for up to 3 days, ready to be reheated as is or in portions.

In the oven: Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. If you're only reheating a portion, cut it out and place it on a flat tray. If you want the lasagne extra crisp with a deep brown topping, then simply reheat as it is, or if you down want it any browner, then cover with foil. Reheat for 10-15 mins until hot in the middle, removing the foil for the last few mins. To reheat the rest of the lasagne in its dish, simply place the dish back in the oven, covering with foil if you want. Reheat for 20-25 minutes, removing foil for last few mins if used.

In the microwave: Using a microwave won’t give you the same crisp edge as an oven or air-fryer, but it’s still handy. Place a portion of lasagne in a microwavable dish, splash a few drops of water in the bottom, then cover the dish and microwave on medium (about 600w) for 2-3 mins until hot in the middle.

Air-fryer: Using an air-fryer is a great way to reheat lasagne quickly and keep its crispiness. Heat the air-fryer to 180C. Sit a portion of lasagne on an air-fryer friendly tray and place in the air-fryer for 4-5 mins until hot through. If the top looks like it’s starting to burn at any point, cover with foil.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, May 2009

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