• 500 grams beef mince (any quality will work)

• 1/2 cups red wine (any quality, any type)

• 1 x 400 gram jars of your favourite tomato based pasta sauce

• Optional: a squeeze of tomato paste, a good pinch of salt, a sprinkle of dried italian herbs, a teaspoon castor or brown sugar.

• 5 sheets dried lasagna sheets (will depend on how wide your casserole dish is and/or how wide the lasagna sheets are.

• 100 grams butter

• 6 tablespoons plain flour (about 65 grams)

• 3 - 3 1/2 cups milk

• 100 grams mozzarella, tasty or cheese (or mixture), plus 30 grams cheese to sprinkle over the top

• Salt & pepper

1. Heat a large frying deep pan over a high heat. You can add a little oil. Add all the beef mince into the pan and cook until it’s brown. Spend the time to mix the mince as it cooks and break it up into small pieces. 

2. Once the mince is cooked, add the red wine. Cook on high so the wine is boiling for about 5 minutes. 

3. Add the jar of tomato based pasta sauce. You can add a bit of water to the jar, swirl it around to make sure you pour out every skerrick of the tomato sauce. 

4. Simmer on a low to medium heat for 30-40 minutes.

5. The mix should be wet, not dry, as the sauce will assist in cooking the dried lasagna sheets.

1. Put a saucepan on a low heat and add the butter and melt. Don't let it burn.

2. Add the plain flour and stir with a whisk so that it's smooth, do this as quickly as possible. Tip: The consistency should be a thin paste and not a crumble. If it resembles a crumble add a bit more butter.

3. Turn up the heat a little. Add the milk slowly, stirring continuously, when it's thickened, add more milk and stir until it's smooth and thickened, add more milk and so on. Tip: It's easier to whisk out any lumps while the mix is thick.

4. Once all the milk has been added, stir around the bottom edges of the pot with a wooden spoon or spatula and don't let it burn. The sauce will continue to thicken. You'll know when It's done as the sauce will coat the back of the spoon and run off the wooden spoon in a thin steam. Turn off the heat.

5. Add 100 grams of the shredded cheese and let it sit to melt into the sauce. Add the salt and pepper. Taste to check seasoning.

To Compile

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Line a baking sheet/tray with foil.

2. Add 2 tablespoons of bolognese (meat) mix to the bottom of a 2 litre baking/casserole dish.

3. Lay 1 and a half dried lasagna sheets over the meat mix.

4. Add half of the remaining bolognese mix on top of the lasagna sheets. Pour over 1/3 of the of bechamel (cheese) sauce.

5. Lay 2 and a half dried lasagna sheets over the bechamel sauce.

6. Add the remaining bolognese mix on top of the lasagna sheets. Pour over 1/2 of the remaining bechamel (cheese) sauce.

7. Lay 3 and a half dried lasagna sheets over the bechamel sauce.

8. Pour over the remaining cheese sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese.

To Cook & Refrigerate

9. Bake uncovered in the oven at 180 degrees for 45 minutes. 

10. Allow it to stand on your bench until it's cool enough to place in the fridge. I usually place a tea towel underneath the fridge when I place it in the fridge.

11. Cover with foil and place in the fridge until completely cool, usually overnight.

To Reheat

12. Preheat the oven to 180ºC. ** TOP TIP** With a small knife make at least 4 cuts (slits) about 1 cm wide in the lasagna and pull it slightly apart and pour in just enough boiling water to fill the hole.

13. Cook for 45 - 60 minutes covered with aluminium foil.

14. Remove the foil and cook for another 15-20 minutes.

15. With a table knife check that lasagna is heated through by sticking in the knife somewhere near the centre and after you've pulled it out if it's on the hot side of warm, then it's hot enough to eat.