Meat Lovers Lasagne

Serves 10-12

Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

Ragu

125g butter 

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

1 brown onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 sticks celery, diced 

1 bunch basil, leaves picked

Salt & pepper 

2 x (400g) can diced tomatoes 

1 x (400g) can crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup red wine

300g pork neck

300g veal chuck 

300g speck

3L chicken stock

1 bunch thyme

1 brown onion, chopped

2 packets instant lasagne sheets

220g baby bocconcini

120g grated mozzarella 

Béchamel Sauce

60g butter, chopped

1/3 cup plain flour

4½ cups milk

75g parmesan, lightly grated

½ tsp salt

Method

Preheat oven to 180C. 

In a large stewpot braise pork, veal and speck in chicken stock with thyme and onion. 

Add butter and extra virgin olive oil to a hot pan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, celery and half of the basil. Allow to sweat down for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, add salt and pepper. Add the canned tomatoes and red wine and cook for a further 1-2 minutes. Add the cooked meat and left over fresh basil to the sauce and stir through.  

For the bechamel sauce, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until foaming. Add flour. Cook, stirring, for 1 – 2 min or until bubbling. Remove from heat. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly, until the mixture is smooth. Return to heat. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 10 – 12 min or until sauce comes to the boil, thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from heat. Stir in parmesan and salt.

Layer the lasagne with ragu, bechamel sauce, bocconcini and lasagne sheets to fill the tray. Top the final layer with mozzarella cheese. 

Cook in the oven for 45 minutes or until pasta is soft.