Slow-cooked chunky beef lasagne

SERVES 6-8 PREP 45 mins COOK 3 hrs EASY G

2 tbsp olive oil

400g beef shin, diced

1 onion, finely chopped

1 large carrot, finely chopped

1 celery stick, finely chopped

160g smoked pancetta, diced

150ml red wine

400g can chopped tomatoes

3 tbsp tomato purée

300ml beef stock

1 bay leaf

2 rosemary sprigs

2 tsp sugar

500g dried lasagne sheets

30g parmesan, grated

150g mozzarella, grated green salad, to serve (optional)

For the white sauce 100g butter 100g plain flour

1 litre whole milk 50g parmesan, grated grating of nutmeg 1 Heat half the oil in a large pan or dish with a lid over a medium-high heat, and fry the meat for 5 mins until browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.

2 Add the remaining oil to the pan and tip in the veg and pancetta. Cook for 10 mins until the onion has softened. Turn up the heat and cook for 3 mins or until the pancetta begins to brown. Add the beef back to the pan. Pour in the wine and bring to the boil, cooking until the liquid has reduced by half. Tip in the tomatoes, purée, stock, herbs and sugar. Lower the heat and season to taste. Place a lid on the pan and cook over a low heat on a gentle simmer for 2-21/2 hrs until the meat is tender. Once cooked, shred the meat into smaller chunks with two forks and stir everything together. Check again for seasoning.

3 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. For the white sauce, heat the butter in a saucepan until foaming. Stir through the flour and cook for 2 mins. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Return to the heat and simmer for 5 mins until thickened, whisking continuously. Stir through the cheese and nutmeg, then season. 4 Tip a thin layer of meat sauce into a 25 x 30cm sized dish, followed by a layer of lasagne sheets, then a layer of the meat sauce, followed by a drizzle of the white sauce. Repeat until all the pasta and meat sauce have been used, then finish with a layer of pasta sheets topped with a thick layer of white sauce. Sprinkle over the parmesan and mozzarella. 5 Bake for 1 hr until golden and bubbling. Check halfway through cooking – if it is already browned, cover with foil. Serve with a punchy, dressed green salad, if you like.

GOOD TO KNOW calcium • 1 of 5-a-day

PER SERVING (8) 718 kcals • fat 33g • saturates 17g • carbs 65g • sugars 13g • fibre 4g • protein 35g • salt 1.5g