Try this mouth-watering beef lasagne, consisting of a tomatoey mince mixture, a creamy béchamel sauce and layers of pasta…

INGRIDIENTS
12–16 lasagne sheets
2 cups grated cheddar
For the mince
250g bacon, chopped
2 onions, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
1 yellow pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 kg mince (½ lamb, ½ beef is ideal)
2 carrots, grated
2 × 410g tin chopped tomatoes
1 cup red wine
1 cup beef stock
1 sprig rosemary
2 tbsp chopped origanum
Salt and pepper
For the béchamel
1 onion
4 cloves
1L milk
2 bay leaves
80g butter
⅓ cup flour
Pinch of nutmeg
Salt and pepper

METHOD
For the mince
1. In a large pot, dry-fry the bacon until golden. Remove and set it aside
2. In the bacon fat, fry the onion until golden and soft, 10 minutes. Add the garlic and peppers, and fry for 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
3. Heat the oil and brown the mince, stirring every now and again.
4. When all the extra liquid has cooked out of the mince and it has some colour, add back the bacon, onion and peppers. Add the remaining ingredients.
5. Leave to simmer on low heat for 2 hours.
For the béchamel 
1. Stud the onion with the cloves.
2. Place the milk, onion and bay leaves in a pot and bring to the boil. Switch off the heat and let the milk sit for 15 minutes. Strain.
3. In another pot, cook the butter and flour for 3–5 minutes. Add the milk slowly, whisking constantly. Simmer for 5 minutes, still whisking.
4. Season to taste with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
The assembly
1. Preheat oven to 180ºC.
2.  Soak the lasagne in boiling water for 10 minutes.
3. Layer the ingredients in a 20 × 20 cm ovenproof dish: one fifth of the béchamel, 3–4 lasagne sheets, a quarter of the mince.
4. Repeat 3 times, ensuring you end on a layer of béchamel. Sprinkle with the cheese.
5. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the lasagne is golden and bubbling.

Want something with more vegetables? Try this delicious Ratatouille bake.