This is my mothers recipe for lasagna.
For the basics:
A packet of lasagna sheets
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
Mature cheddar
Parmesan
For the sauce:
2 medium sized onions
2 cloves of garlic
400g beef mince
400g can of chopped tomatoes
4 or so vine tomatoes
Mushrooms, sliced
Splash of red wine
One cube of beef stock
Chili flakes
Oregano
Fresh basil
For the bechamel sauce:
2 table spoons of butter
4 table spoons of plain flour
About 600ml milk
How to make it:
Chop the onions and garlic. Fry them gently until translucent in a frying pan. Transfer to a big pot. Fry the mince and then transfer to the same pot. At the same time as frying the mince put the tomatoes in boiling water and then remove their skin. Chop the tomatoes and add them to the pot together with the can of chopped tomatoes. Add the splash of wine, a pinch of chili flakes, the beef stock and the oregano. Salt and pepper to taste. Let it all boil for 20 – 30 minutes until reduced and a good reduced consistency. 5 minutes before ready to use add 10 fresh basil leaves or so (chopped up) and the mushrooms.
How to make the bechamel sauce:
Gently melt the butter in a saucepan. When butter is melted add the flour. Take the saucepan of the heat and start whisking. When flour is dissolved return to the heat (medium) and add the milk. Keep whisking all the time until the sauce is the right consistency (a bit like wallpaper glue).
Grate the cheddar and parmesan. You need about 600 ml. Around two parts cheddar and one part parmesan.
Assembling the lasagna:
Get an ovenproof dish and put some bechamel sauce in the bottom of it. Sprinkle some cheese over the sauce then put the first layer of lasagna sheets. Put a layer of the ragu sauce on top of the lasagna sheets then bechamel sauce on top of that and then sprinkle with cheese then lasagna sheets again. Repeat this until you get to the top. You should end up with lasagna sheets on top and then put the rest of bechamel sauce and cheese on the top.