Beef, red pepper and courgette lasagne recipe

Delicious and filling beef, red pepper and courgette lasagne is well worth the wait. It's a family sized meal that is packed with tender beef mince, a homemade ragu and creamy béchamel sauce and plenty of veggies including courgette, onion and red pepper.

Ingredients

For the ragu:

• 50g butter
• 65g pancetta cubes
• 1 onion, chopped,
• 2 courgettes, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 500g beef mince
• 3tbsp tomato purée
• 150ml red wine
• 200ml beef stock
• 150ml milk
• 1 bay leaf
• Whole nutmeg, for grating
• 12 sheets of fresh lasagne
• 80g Parmesan, grated

For the béchamel:

• 60g butter
• 5tbsp plain flour
• 750ml whole milk

Method

1. Heat the butter in a sauté pan and cook the pancetta for a few mins, then add the onion, courgette and pepper and cook for 10 mins. Add the mince, breaking up with a wooden spoon, and seasoning and fry until browned.
2. Stir in the purée, and cook for 1 min. Pour in the wine and stock and a splash of the milk. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down. Add the bay leaf and simmer for 1hr-1hr 30 mins, adding a good splash of milk every so often. Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
3. Meanwhile, put all the béchamel ingredients in a pan and heat, stirring until the butter has melted. Increase the heat and bubble, stirring, until thickened. Season well with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
4. Layer up the lasagne in a baking dish. Start with a dollop of ragu to stop the pasta sticking to the bottom of the dish, then add 4 sheets lasagne, top with ragu, white sauce and some Parmesan. Repeat the layers, ending with dollops of white sauce and the remaining Parmesan. Bake for 30 mins until golden and bubbling. Serve with a big green salad.