Everyone loves a classic. Lasagne is one of those staples that all the family can enjoy (cheese, meat, carbs – what’s not to love?!). There’s always that temptation to just get a ready-made one from Tesco or use Dolmio sauces instead of making it from scratch. That’s all well and good – we know you’re busy – but if you want to really impress, we have a surprisingly easy recipe for you to follow that we promise is worth the time! 

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 celery sticks
• 2 red onions
• 2 carrots
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 150g pancetta
• 1kg lean beef mince
• 2 packs of tomatoes
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs of rosemary
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 beef stock cubes
• 500ml Premier Estates Chilean Merlot
• 400g dried pasta sheets
• 50g Parmesan 

For the béchamel (white) sauce

• 1 ½ l milk
• 1 white onion
• 3 bay leaves
• 3 cloves
• 100g butter
• 100g flour
• Nutmeg

Directions

1. First infuse the milk for the béchamel sauce. Put the milk, onion, bay and cloves into a large saucepan and bring it very gently to the boil. Turn off the heat and set it aside for 1 hour to infuse

2. Whilst this is infusing, cut up all the vegetables, apart from the tomatoes, and place them in a large saucepan along with the olive oil. Gently cook together until the vegetables are soft but not browned.

3. Add the pancetta

4. Cut up the tomatoes and prepare the herbs

5. Tip in the mince and tomatoes, then add the herbs, stock cubes and wine. Cover and cook on a low heat for 1 hour. Make sure you stir it occasionally to stop the ingredients from sticking to the bottom of the pan. The liquid in the pot should reduce even when covered. After an hour, remove the lid and continue cooking on a low heat until the mixture has reduced till there is very little liquid in the pan. Now season with salt and pepper to taste

6. Back to the béchamel! Strain the milk through a sieve into a bowl. Or other pan Melt the butter in a pan and mix in the flour using a wooden spoon. Cook for 2 minutes whilst stirring. Pour in the milk, a little at a time – the mix will thicken at first to a doughy paste but don’t worry, this is correct. When all the milk is in, bring to a gentle bubble and stir constantly (or whisk if there are lumps). Once the mix has thickened, season with salt, pepper and a generous grating of nutmeg

7. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Spread a spoonful of the meat sauce over the base of a baking dish. Cover with a single layer of pasta sheets, snapping them to fit if needs be. Top with some béchamel and a scattering of finely grated Parmesan. Place another layer of pasta sheeting on top of this, then add the meat sauce, then a sprinkling of Parmesan. Continue until you dish is full and/or you’ve run out of sauce. Make sure the final layer is béchamel with a layer of Parmesan on top

8. Place the dish on a baking tray to catch any spills and bake for an hour until bubbly and browned on top. Serve with a simple handful of rocket and a glass of Merlot

Loved this recipe? Get your Chilean Merlot here for only £5.50 a bottle with our Summer Offer, and share your success with us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.