Ground Beef Lasagna

Ingredients

• 175 g semolina (and extra for working)
• 75 ml warm water
• 1 onion
• 2–3 carrots
• 1 Garlic clove
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 250 g ground beef
• 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
• 5 tbsp red wine
• 1 small can peeled tomatoes (240 g drained weight)
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt
• ground pepper (from grinder)
• sugar
• 2 tbsp freshly chopped basil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp flour
• 300 ml milk
• Salt
• ground pepper (from grinder)
• 2 tbsp butter (for greasing and for flecks)
• 1 ball mozzarella (125 g)
• basil (for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1.

   For the dough, sift the semolina onto a work surface. Gradually add water and knead. Initially the dough is crumbly but becomes soft and smooth after about 10 minutes of kneading. Add more water if needed until it has a homogeneous consistency and no longer sticks to your hands. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for at least 30 minutes.

2. 2.

   For the Bolognese, peel the onion, carrots, and garlic. Finely chop the onion and garlic; cut the carrots into about 1 cm cubes. Sauté everything in hot olive oil in a pot over low to medium heat. Add the ground beef and stir until it starts to brown. Stir in the tomato paste and cook briefly. Deglaze with wine and let simmer for a moment. Add the canned tomatoes, lightly crushing them as you stir, add the bay leaf, and let the sauce gently simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes. Season the Bolognese with salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar. Stir in basil and remove from heat.

3. 3.

   For the béchamel sauce, melt butter in a pot, whisk in flour until it turns golden. Gradually whisk in milk. Season with salt and pepper, then simmer gently for about 5 minutes while stirring constantly.

4. 4.

   Preheat the oven to 200°C (392°F) with upper and lower heating. Grease four small baking dishes with a little butter.

5. 5.

   Roll out the pasta dough on a semolina‑dusted surface as thinly as possible (or use a pasta machine). Cut eight circles to fit the baking pans.

6. 6.

   Spread a quarter of the béchamel sauce in each pan, lay one lasagna sheet over it, and brush with another quarter of béchamel. Spread half of the Bolognese ragout on top and cover with another sheet. Brush again with a quarter of béchamel and spread the remaining Bolognette. Finish with the last quarter of béchamel. Dice mozzarella into small cubes and scatter over the top. Sprinkle the remaining butter in flecks. Bake in the oven on the middle rack for about 25 minutes until golden brown. Serve garnished with fresh basil.