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Mary Berry Lasagne Recipe

Mary Berry Lasagne Recipe

Mary Berry's lasagne has a rich, slow-cooked beef ragu, a silky béchamel sauce, and layers of pasta baked until golden and bubbling.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Resting Time 14 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 24 minutes
Servings: 8 Portions
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: British
Calories: 565
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • Beef Ragu:
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion finely chopped
  • 2 carrots finely diced
  • 2 celery sticks finely diced
  • 3 garlic cloves crushed
  • 500 g beef mince
  • 150 g pancetta or smoked bacon lardons
  • 150 ml red wine
  • 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 300 ml beef stock
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • Salt and pepper
  • Béchamel:
  • 75 g unsalted butter
  • 75 g plain flour
  • 900 ml whole milk
  • ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  • 75 g Parmesan finely grated
  • Salt and pepper
  • To Assemble:
  • 250 g dried lasagne sheets no pre-cook
  • 100 g mozzarella torn
  • 50 g Parmesan finely grated

Method
 

  1. Cook onion, carrots, and celery in olive oil for 10 minutes until softened. Add garlic, cook 1 minute.
  2. Add pancetta, cook 3–4 minutes. Add beef mince, brown for 8–10 minutes.
  3. Add red wine, bubble 1 minute, scraping the pan. Add chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, oregano, bay leaves, stock, and sugar. Simmer covered on low for 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes until thick. Remove bay leaves. Season.
  4. Melt butter, stir in flour to form a roux. Cook 1–2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk. Simmer 5–6 minutes until smooth and thick. Stir in nutmeg and Parmesan. Season.
  5. Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4. Layer ragu, lasagne sheets, ragu, béchamel in a large dish, repeating until ingredients are used, finishing with pasta topped with béchamel.
  6. Scatter mozzarella and Parmesan over the top. Bake 40–45 minutes until golden, bubbling, and pasta is tender.
  7. Rest 10–15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Notes

Simmer the ragu for at least an hour — this is where the flavour comes from.
Make sure every lasagne sheet is covered by sauce to avoid hard, dry edges.
Add milk to the béchamel gradually while whisking to avoid lumps.
Be generous with the cheese topping for a beautifully golden finish.
Rest for 10–15 minutes before cutting for clean slices.
Ragu can be made a day ahead — it improves overnight. Freezes well before or after baking.
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