Italian Meat Lasagna

• 400g mixed ground meat
• 200g pancetta
• 1 onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 celery
• 400g crushed tomato
• 200ml red wine
• milk
• oil
• salt
• Homemade Bechamel
• Lasagna sheets
• Generous grated Parmesan

👨‍🍳 Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Ragú: sauté chopped vegetables in oil. Add ground meats and brown well.

2. 2

   Red wine and let it evaporate. Add tomato, a splash of milk, and cook for 1 hour over very low heat.

3. 3

   Assemble lasagna: base of bechamel, sheets, ragú, bechamel, parmesan. Repeat 3 layers.

4. 4

   Finish with generous bechamel and plenty of parmesan.

5. 5

   Bake at 180°C for 35-40 minutes until bubbly and the surface is golden brown.

6. 6

   Let it rest for 15 minutes before serving.

💡 Chef's tip

The ragù improves enormously when made the day before. Milk in the ragù is the Bolognese secret: it tenderizes the meat and takes the edge off the tomato acidity.

📝 Our take

Homemade lasagne beats any restaurant version when the ragù has cooked long enough. The splash of milk in the Bolognese sauce is the Italian secret: it softens the meat and rounds out the tomato's acidity. Béchamel must be assertively seasoned — tasteless béchamel ruins the whole thing.

🍷 Wine & food pairing

Sangiovese di Romagna or a Chianti Classico. The acidity of the tomato in the ragù needs a wine with similar tannin structure.