Recipes That Make Me Happy - 5

Spag Bol or Lasagne
(just make the red sauce for spag bol!)

Red Sauce
1 lb of lean minced beef
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, diced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
8 medium fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 tins of chopped plum tomatoes
1 tbsp of tomato puree/paste
1/2 tsp dried basil
black pepper
garlic salt (ordinary salt will do)
olive oil

White sauce (for lasagne)
2 ozs butter
6-8 ozs cheddar, grated
30 fl ozs milk
2 tbsp corn flour
1 tsp dried English mustard powder or 1 tsp of Dijon mustard (optional)

1 pkt of no-cook lasagne sheets or 3oz per person spaghetti

In a large saucepan, heat a little olive oil and gently fry the onion, carrot, mushrooms and garlic together until the onions go translucent (see though). Add the meat and season with basil, pepper and garlic salt. Gently fry until the meat is brown. Add the tomato puree/paste and tins of tomatoes. Refill the tin twice with water and add that too. Simmer the sauce until the liquid has reduced by about half.

For lasagne: While it is simmering prepare the white sauce. Melt the butter and remove from the heat. Add the mustard and cornstarch to make a paste. Slowly add the milk, stirring continuously and return to the heat. Stir continuously and bring to the boil on a medium heat, so it doesn't burn. Once it's thickened add the cheese and taste for cheesiness. Add more if it needs it.

Preheat the oven to 375F (180C). Into a glass dish place a layer of no-cook lasagne sheets, taking care not to overlap them. Add a layer of red sauce (about 1/2). Place another layer of lasagne sheets, again no over laps, then another of red sauce. Finally, add the last layer of lasagne and then pour the white cheese sauce over the top. Bake in the oven with a foil cover for about 45 minutes, then cook for the last 15 minutes without the cover.