My ultimate comfort food...lasagne

This is my go to comfort food, a traditional lasagne. Although I do like to experiment with different lasagne types such as the cheesy chicken lasagne and summer veggie lasagne, this will always be my nostalgic go to.

For the bolognaise sauce

1 decent sized onion, chopped reasonably finely

2 cloves garlic, minced or chopped finely

500g good quality minced beef

1 tin chopped tomatoes

At least 2 heaped tblsp tomato paste

Italian herbs (can use a mix but altenatively oregano on it's own is great)

Good drizzle of balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper

Sprinkle of white or brown sugar

For the bechamel sauce

A matchbox size slab of butter

A heaped tablespoon or two of plain flour

Milk - enough to sauce to the right consistency

A teaspoon of dijon mustard

Salt and Pepper

Cheese - a handfull of grated, doesnt have to be too strong

Lasagne sheets

---

Make the bolognaise sauce first so that it can bubble away whilst you're making the bechamel sauce.

Heat olive oil in a frying pan. Cook onion until soft, then add garlic and mince. Break up the mince as it cooks.

When the mince is brown, add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, herbs, balsamic vinegar, the sprinkle of sugar and a drizzle of water if you need it to allow it to simmer.

Simmer for about 15 - 20 mins until the sauce is thick. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

Whilst the meat is cooking, make the bechamel.

Melt the butter in a saucepan. When its fully melted, add the flour and stir vigourously to make a paste. Let it cook for a few minutes so that the flour cooks out, but stir occassionally so it doesn't burn. Then slowly add the milk, whisking in between adding to get rid of all the lumps. Add enough milk to get it to a thick consistency where it will cover the back of a spoon well. Not too runny as it will make the lasagne sloppy. And no one likes a sloppy lasagne. Add the mustard, cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

Then it's just a case of layering it up in your oblong/square lasagne dish of choice. Start with a small amount of meat sauce on the bottom of the dish, cover with lasange sheets, breaking any to fit snugly. Then meat sauce, a drizzle of bechamel sauce, a layer of lasagne and repeat until you finish with lasange and bechamel sauce on top. Grate cheese and parmesan on top before baking in an oven at 180 degrees for about 40 mins but until the lasagne sheets are cooked/soft, the lasagne is bubbling and the top is brown.