Beef Lasagne

To make the Italian Tomato Sauce:

Heat the olive oil in a medium/large saucepan. Add the onion and cook over a low heat until onion softens, stirring regularly.

Add garlic and cook a further minute. Pour over Wattie's Tomatoes Chopped in Juice and add Gregg's Rubbed Sweet Basil, Gregg's Rubbed Oregano, balsamic vinegar, sugar and salt. Stir while bringing the sauce to the boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook for 30 minutes with the lid off, stirring occasionally making sure the sauce does not reduce too much. Remove from the heat. Taste and adjust seasoning adding a little extra salt and black pepper if wished. When cooked, it will make approximately 2 and ½ cups of sauce.

To make the Beef Lasagne:

Heat a dash of oil in a lidded frying pan. Add mince and brown over a high heat. Stir in garlic and Wattie's Tomato Paste. Add mushrooms.

Pour over prepared Italian Tomato Sauce. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat. Cover. Simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and season with salt and black pepper if necessary

While the mince is cooking prepare the cheese sauce.

Heat the milk with the bayleaf until nearly boiling. Allow to stand for 10 minutes to allow the bay flavour to infuse into the milk.

To make the cheese sauce:

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in the flour to make the roux, cooking for 1 minute. Remove the bayleaf from the milk. Gradually whisk the milk into the roux. Continue whisking until the sauce is smooth and comes to the boil. Reduce heat and cook a further minute. Remove from the heat and stir in Gregg's Ground Nutmeg and all but ½ cup of the grated Parmesan.

To assemble the lasagne:

Preheat oven to 180°C (fan assisted). To assemble the lasagne: Grease a 2 Litre capacity lasagne dish. Place a single layer of pasta on the base. Spread ¾ cup of the prepared cheese sauce over the pasta. Spoon over half the meat sauce, spreading it out to cover the cheese sauce. Top with a layer of pasta. Repeat the layers finishing with a layer of pasta. Pour over the remaining cheese sauce. Sprinkle over the remaining Parmesan. Bake for 35- 40 minutes until golden and pasta cooked. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before cutting and serving. Serve with a crisp salad on the side.