‘Undone’ Beef and Ricotta Lasagne
Our classic bolognese makes a great base for all sorts of crowd-pleasing dishes. Whip up a big batch on a Sunday night for a head start on your weeknight dinners, like this speedy twist on a lasagne.
Ingredients
For the bolognese:
Olive oil, for frying
500g Pure South beef mince
1 onion, diced
1 stick celery, finely diced
1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
A few sprigs thyme
1 tsp salt
250ml red wine (or use extra beef stock)
½ jar passata (approx. 350g)
2 Tbsp tomato paste
500ml beef stock
For the lasagne:
½ batch bolognese
1 cup beef stock
300g Real Pasta pappardelle ribbons (or your preferred shape)
125g ricotta
¼ cup cream
A handful of parsley, chives, or basil, roughly chopped
25g freshly grated parmesan
Method
For the bolognese:
Heat the oil in a large pan and brown the meat all over, stirring and breaking up the lumps until well coloured. Add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, thyme, and salt and cook until soft. Add the red wine and reduce by half. Add the passata, tomato paste, and beef stock and cook over a low heat for at least 40 minutes, until most of the liquid has disappeared and the mince is very tender. Allow to cool and refrigerate until needed.
For the lasagne:
Heat the bolognese and the beef stock in a wide pan until bubbling. Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water according to packet directions until al dente. Drain, but reserve at least 1 cup of cooking water.
Add the pasta to the bolognese and stir well, adding some cooking water if necessary to keep the mix loose. Mix the ricotta and cream and season well with salt and pepper. Add dollops into the pan, nestling some into the pasta. Scatter with herbs and parmesan to serve.