Curtis Stone’s best ever lasagne | Cook with Curtis | Coles

Looking to make a saucy and cheesy lasagne? In this video, Curtis Stone shows you how to make his best lasagne recipe with delicious layers of bechamel and bolognaise. Whether you’re after a hearty weeknight dinner or a classic comfort meal, this lasagne recipe is sure to hit the spot.

What you’ll learn:
✅ How to make the tastiest bolognaise sauce
✅ How to get a creamy consistency for the cheese bechamel sauce
✅ How to layer the lasagne to nail the ratio for a rich flavour
✅ Achieve a golden layer on top

Curtis’ Best-Ever Lasagna
Serves 8 to 10 Prep Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 2 1/2 hours
Make-Ahead: Meat sauce and bechamel sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead of building lasagna, cooled, covered and refrigerated. Reheat sauces over low heat just until they are just warmed through. Lasagna can be assembled up to 1 day ahead of cooking, covered and refrigerated.

Meat Sauce:
1/4 cup (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
500g 4-star beef mince
300g brown mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 small brown onion, coarsely chopped
1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
1 small carrot, coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 1/2 tbs tomato paste
1/2 cup (125ml) dry white wine
1/2 cup (125ml) full-cream milk
700g tomato passata
1 cups (250ml) salt-reduced beef stock, plus extra if needed

Bechamel Sauce:
1 1/3 cups (310 ml) full-cream milk
1 1/3 cups (310ml) thickened cream
40g unsalted butter
2 tbs plain flour
1/2 cup (40g) finely grated Parmesan cheese

Assembling Lasagna:
12 oven ready lasagna sheets
4 cups (400g) grated mozzarella cheese

1. Heat large pot over high heat. Add 1 tbs oil, then mince and cook, stirring with wooden spoon to break up beef, for 5 mins, or until meat is browned and no longer pink. Season beef with salt and pepper and transfer beef to bowl and wipe out pot.
2. Meanwhile, in food processor, add mushrooms and pulse until mixture is finely chopped. Transfer chopped mushrooms to clean bowl. Add onion, celery, carrot and garlic to food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
3. Return now-empty pot to medium-high heat. Add chopped onion mixture and drizzle with 2tbs oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 mins, or veggies are beginning to brown. Add mushrooms and cook stirring for 8 mins until moisture has reduced, Add tomato paste and browned beef to pot and cook, stirring, for 2 mins, or until tomato paste is well-blended.
4. Stir in wine and cook 3 mins, or until wine evaporates. Reduce heat to medium, add milk and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 mins, or until milk has mostly reduced into meat mixture and mixture is creamy.
5. Add passata and 1 cup (250ml) stock to pot. Bring to a simmer, add lid to partially cover pot, and simmer for 1 hour, or until sauce has thickened slightly. Season with salt and pepper. Set meat sauce aside to cool slightly. You should have about7 cups sauce – if not, top up with extra beef stock.
6. In medium saucepan over medium heat, heat cream and milk until hot but not simmering.
7. Meanwhile, in large saucepan over medium-low heat, melt 40g butter. Add flour and cook, stirring, 2 mins, or until smooth paste forms. Gradually whisk in hot milk mixture until smooth. Increase heat and bring sauce to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer sauce for 8 mins, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in Parmesan cheese and season bechamel sauce with salt. Cool slightly.
8. Preheat oven to 190°C (170°C fan-forced).
9. Spread 1 cup meat sauce over bottom of an 33cm x 22cm x 5cm baking dish. Lay 3 lasagna sheets over sauce, breaking one sheet to fill the space as needed (don’t worry if it is not perfect). Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over pasta, then drizzle 3/4 cup bechamel sauce over meat sauce. Sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella over bechamel sauce. Repeat layering 3 sheets pasta, 3/4 cup bechamel, 1 1/2 cups meat sauce and 1 cup mozzarella 3 more times. Cover baking dish with oiled aluminium foil.
10. Place dish on baking tray and bake 45 mins. Remove foil and continue baking, uncovered, for about 20 mins, or until lasagna is golden brown on top. Let lasagna stand for 15 mins before serving.

00:00 How to make a mouth-watering lasagne
00:23 Brown the beef
01:23 Prepare the vegetables
02:05 Cook the vegetables
02:27 Make the bolognese sauce
03:28 Simmer the sauce for an hour
03:55 Make the bechamel sauce
04:39 Add the cheese
04:52 Layer the lasagne
06:02 Cover the lasagne and bake
06:38 Get the top crispy
06:46 Rest the lasagne
07:12 What to serve with lasagne