Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1.Prepare Vegetables (Mirepoix)

   Dice 2 onions, 3 carrots, and 3 sticks of celery. Mince 4 cloves of garlic.

2. 2.Brown Mince

   Heat olive oil in a large pan over high heat. Add 700g beef mince and 700g pork mince (in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding) and brown, cooking out all the liquid. Remove browned mince and set aside.

3. 3.Render Pancetta

   Add 300g diced pancetta to the hot pan (no extra oil needed due to fat from pancetta). Cook until crispy and fat is rendered.

4. 4.Sauté Mirepoix

   Add the diced onions, carrots, and celery to the pan with the pancetta fat. Sauté for about 10 minutes until onions are translucent.

5. 5.Add Mince and Wine

   Return the browned mince to the pan with the vegetables. Pour in 500ml of red wine. Cook for approximately 5 minutes to cook off the alcohol.

6. 6.Add Rosemary and Tomato Paste

   Add an optional handful of rosemary and 300g of tomato paste. Fry for 2-3 minutes.

7. 7.Add Stock and Simmer

   Pour in 1L of chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover with a lid, and cook for at least 45 minutes (longer is better), stirring occasionally to prevent drying out.

8. 8.Prepare Pasta Dough

   Combine 300g plain/00 flour and a pinch of salt on a clean surface. Make a well in the center. Whisk 3 large eggs in a separate bowl and pour into the well. Gradually incorporate flour into the eggs.

9. 9.Knead Dough

   Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. If too dry, add a tiny splash of water. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30-40 minutes.

10. 10.Roll Pasta Sheets

    Dust the workbench with flour. Take the chilled pasta dough and flatten it with a rolling pin until it's thin enough to fit into a pasta machine.

11. 11.Use Pasta Machine

    Feed the dough through the pasta machine on the thickest setting. Fold the dough and feed it through again. Repeat 2-3 times on each setting, gradually decreasing the thickness until you reach setting 6 (or desired thinness for lasagne).

12. 12.Cut Pasta Sheets

    Cut the rolled pasta sheets to fit your lasagne tray.

13. 13.Blanch Pasta Sheets

    Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch pasta sheets one at a time for about 30 seconds. Immediately transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking and firm them up.

14. 14.Drain and Prepare Pasta

    Remove blanched pasta sheets from the ice bath and pat dry with paper towel. Place paper towel between sheets to prevent sticking.

15. 15.Prepare Béchamel

    Melt 60g butter in a saucepan over low-medium heat. Add 2 1/2-3 tablespoons of flour and whisk to form a roux. Fry the roux for 1-2 minutes.

16. 16.Add Milk to Roux

    Slowly whisk in 1L of warm full cream milk to the roux. Continue whisking until the sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper.

17. 17.Assemble Lasagne

    Preheat oven to 180°C (with foil) or 200°C (without foil). Start with a layer of bolognese sauce at the bottom of the baking tray.

18. 18.Layer Lasagne

    Place a layer of pasta sheets over the sauce. Add a layer of béchamel sauce. Repeat layers of bolognese, pasta, and béchamel until the tray is almost full, ending with a béchamel layer.

19. 19.Bake Lasagne (Covered)

    Cover the lasagne with foil and bake for 35-40 minutes.

20. 20.Bake Lasagne (Uncovered)

    Remove foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly. Grate fresh Parmesan cheese over the hot lasagne. Add a little more pepper if desired.

21. 21.Rest and Serve

    Let the lasagne rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.