I worked with a lovely Italian girl called Giorgia, who now lives near us which is wonderful! I was lucky enough that she shared with me her Nonna’s recipe for a traditional lasagne and to this day it is the best lasagne I’ve ever had. She said it’s quite often eaten on Christmas day, and I can see why – it’s quite the showstopper! Trust me when I say to not be afraid of the amount of oil. 

Ingredients (serves 6) 

For the ragu:

2 onions

2 carrots

1 stick celery

500g wild venison mince

500g free range pork mince

750g passata di pomodoro

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

For the béchamel:

1 litre milk

100g flour

100g butter

1 tsp grated nutmeg

Salt

For the lasagne:

12 – 16 sheets lasagne (depending on the dish you are using)

Grated parmesan

Method:

For the ragu:

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large sauce pan over a medium heat
2. Add the onion, celery and carrot and fry until golden
3. Turn up the heat and add the venison and pork, frying until browned all over and starting to dry
4. Add the passata, then add approx. 200ml water by using the water to wash out the passata container, bring to the boil
5. Add four tablespoons of olive oil, season with salt and pepper then reduce the heat to low and simmer for at least 2 hours
6. Once the ragu is ready, make the béchamel

For the béchamel:

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat
2. Once it is beginning to melt, stir in the flour to make a paste
3. Add the milk and stir continually until the sauce starts to thicken (try not to let it get too thick as this is what keeps the lasagne soft and moist)
4. Once it has thickened, remove from the heat and add the grated nutmeg

To make the lasagne:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/170C fan
2. Use a glass or ceramic oven dish
3. Spread a tablespoon of the ragu over the bottom of the dish
4. Take 3 – 4 sheets of lasagne and soak gently for thirty seconds in warm water, being careful not to let them stick together
5. Remove from the water and lay flat on the oven dish
6. Cover the sheets with a layer of ragu, followed by a layer of béchamel, mixing the two layers together slightly
7. Repeat this process until you have 3 -4 layers
8. For the last layer, cover the lasagne sheets once again with ragu and béchamel, then cover it all with grated lasagne
9. Cook for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown, and the sides are bubbling