Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
3 celery sticks, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
750g minced beef
250ml red wine
600g canned tomatoes
1 tbsp ground oregano
2 bay leaves
sea salt and black pepper
9 dried lasagne sheets
300g ricotta
400g mozzarella
100g Parmesan, grated bunch of basil, shredded, a few whole reserved for the top

Method

1. First make the meat sauce. Heat a tablespoon of the oil in a large pan and add the onions, celery and carrots. Cook over a gentle heat until the onions are translucent and soft, then add the garlic and cook for a further 3–4 minutes.

2. Add the remaining oil to a large frying pan. Fry the beef, leaving it until a brown crust has developed on the underside before breaking it up and turning it over. It’s best to do this in a few batches – if you crowd the pan the meat will stew in its own juices instead of searing.

3. Add the beef to the vegetables, then turn the heat up high and add the red wine. Boil until the wine is reduced by at least half, then add the tomatoes and herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Bring back to the boil, then turn down the heat, cover and simmer for an hour. Remove the lid and continue to simmer, stirring regularly, until the sauce has reduced down – this will probably take another 15 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. To assemble the lasagne, spread a third of the meat sauce in the base of a rectangular ovenproof dish, large enough for 3 sheets of lasagne. Cover with lasagne sheets and then add another third of the meat sauce. Spoon 100g of the ricotta in teaspoons over the sauce. Add 100g of the mozzarella and a few basil leaves.