Ingredients
For the meat sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 3 plump garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 250g lean rump steak, trimmed of fat, thinly sliced, then very finely chopped
- 250g lean minced pork
- 100ml red wine
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 400g can plum tomato
- tsp ground nutmeg, plus a pinch
- handful basil leaves, torn
For the layers
- 300g fresh spinach
- 1 egg
- 250g tub ricotta
- handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 6 wide sheets (about 175g/6oz) no pre-cook lasagne
- 125g ball mozzarella, preferably buffalo, roughly chopped
- 50g parmesan, coarsely grated
- 200g cherry tomato on the vine
- basil leaves and green salad leaves, to serve
Method
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Make the meat sauce: heat oil in a large sauté pan, then tip in onion and fry for 5 mins until golden. Add carrots and garlic, then fry for 2 mins more. Stir in both meats, breaking up the pork with a wooden spoon. Cook over a high heat until the meat is no longer pink and the juices are released. Pour in wine, scrape the bottom of the pan as you stir, then cook for 1-2 mins until the liquid is reduced. Tip in tomato purée, tomatoes and 2 tbsp water, then stir to break up tomatoes. Add ½ tsp nutmeg and some pepper, cover, then simmer for 1 hr, stirring occasionally. Taste and add salt if you like. Mix in torn basil. Sauce can be chilled for up to 1 day.
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While the sauce is simmering, prepare the other layers. Tip the spinach into a large bowl and pour over boiling water. After 30 secs, tip spinach into a colander and put under cold running water briefly to cool. Squeeze to remove excess water. Beat the egg in a bowl, then mix with ricotta, parsley, a pinch of nutmeg and pepper. Soak the lasagne sheets in a single layer in boiling water for 5 mins. (Although the packet says no pre-cook, I find soaking improves the texture.) Drain well. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6.
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Start layering. Spread a few big spoonfuls of sauce to barely cover the base of an ovenproof dish (20 x 29 x 6cm deep). Cover with 2 sheets of lasagne, then spread over half the remaining sauce. Cover with 2 more lasagne sheets, then scatter spinach evenly over. Spread the ricotta mixture on top and cover with 2 more lasagne sheets. Spread with remaining sauce, then scatter over mozzarella and Parmesan to almost cover meat. Top with cherry tomatoes and some pepper, then cover loosely with foil.
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Bake for 35 mins, then remove foil and bake 5-10 mins more. Leave for a few mins, then scatter with basil and serve with salad.