It was the late Antonio Carluccio who was largely responsible for drawing the British people into a love affair with Italian food. The famous cookery writer, who died in November last year, was a leading authority on Italian cookery and wrote 19 recipe books.
Here’s his traditional lasagne recipe, a dish which originated in Naples in the Middle Ages but has become a dinner-time staple around the world.
With layers upon layer of deliciousness, it can be prepared in advance and popped in the oven whenever you need it. It's also relatively simple to make.
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil1 small onion, finely chopped1 small carrot, finely chopped2 sticks of celery, finely chopped300g minced beef300g minced lambsalt and freshly ground black pepper1 x 400g tin chopped plum tomatoes plus the water from rinsing out the tin8–10 sheets of dried egg lasagne80g Parmesan, freshly grated
For the white sauce:
60g butter40g plain flour500ml milk20g Parmesan, freshly grated
METHOD
Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion, carrot and celery and sweat for a couple of minutes. Add the meats and brown all over. Season with a touch of salt. Add the chopped tomatoes and water, lower the heat, cover with a lid and simmer gently for two hours, stirring occasionally.
Preheat oven to 200°C.
To make the white sauce, melt the butter in a small pan on a medium heat. Stir in the flour (a wooden spoon or small hand whisk will do) to form a paste and stir in a little of the milk. Add the remaining milk gradually, stirring all the time, until it becomes a creamy consistency. Remove from the heat, add the Parmesan and season with a little salt and pepper.
Line a 22 x 26cm rectangular ovenproof dish with a little of the bolognese. Arrange sheets of lasagne over the top, then more bolognese, a bit of white sauce and some grated Parmesan. Continue to make layers like this until you have finished all the ingredients ending with a topping of white sauce and sprinkled Parmesan.
Cook in the oven for about 35–40 minutes until golden-brown. Remove, leave to rest for a couple of minutes and serve. © Telegraph Media Group Limited