Deconstructed lasagne

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This ALWAYS tastes better the next day. A traditional lasagne will serve 10 but making it my way and using more pasta will stretch it much further. You can, of course, prepare this in the traditional way.

Ingredients

6 T olive oil
500 g wood-smoked bacon, diced
4 t dried oregano
1 kg beef mince
4 onions, finely chopp
6 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
500 g celery, finely chopped
300 g carrots, sliced julienne (I buy the ready-cut ones, but you can slice or grate your own)
4 x 410 g cans peeled and diced tomatoes
60 g fresh basil
2 cups water
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
300 g Grana Padano, Parmesan or Woolworths Italian hard cheese, grated
500 g penne, fusilli or farfalloni (or lasagne sheets if you must), cooked al dente
Woolworths cultured cream crème fraîche

Cooking Instructions

1. Heat 2 T olive oil in a very large casserole, then add the bacon and oregano. Cook, stirring, until the bacon is golden and the fat nicely rendered, about 7–10 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.

2. Add another 2 T olive oil to the pan and fry the mince until nicely browned, then remove from the pan and set aside – also 7–10 minutes.

3. Add the remaining olive oil to the pan and fry the onions and garlic until translucent and golden. Add the celery and carrots and cook over a medium heat until softened.

4. Return the bacon and mince to the pan and add the tomatoes, half the basil and the water. Season to taste. Mix well and simmer for 1 hour, stirring it to prevent it from burning.

5. Stir through 200 g grated cheese and the remaining basil, keeping a few leaves aside to garnish.

6. Serve the pasta in bowls with generous amounts of Bolognese, a large dollop of crème fraîche, a sprinkling of the remaining cheese and a few torn basil leaves.

Cook's note: You can use more pasta if you want the Bolognese to stretch. to make a layered lasagne, follow the pasta package instructions and make three alternating layers of the Bolognese, pasta sheets and crème fraîche in two large, deep dishes. Finish with a layer of crème fraîche, sprinkle over the remaining Parmesan and basil. Cover with foil and pop in the oven at 180°C for 1 hour. Uncover, then give it an additional 5–10 minutes so that the top is golden.

Find more lasagne recipes here.

Photograph: Jan Ras
Production: Bianca Strydom
Food assistant: Michelle De Wet