Stove Top Lean Beef Lasagne With Salad

Boil a kettle, then soak 1 lasagne sheet per person in boiled water and a drizzle of olive oil

Peel and finely chop your brown onion[s]

Top, tail, peel and finely dice your carrot[s]

Wash your salad, then pat it dry with kitchen paper (set these aside for later!)

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of olive oil over a medium-high heat

Once hot, add the chopped onion and diced carrot to the pan with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook for 4 min or until softened

Peel and finely chop (or grate) the garlic

Once the onion and carrot has softened, add your lean beef mince to the pan and increase the heat to high

Cook for 3-4 min or until browned all over, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as you go

Dissolve your stock mix, tomato paste, half your balsamic vinegar (save the rest of later!), Henderson's relish, bay leaf[ves] and a pinch of sugar in 350ml [525ml] [700ml] boiled water – this is your tomato stock

Once the mince has browned, add the chopped garlic and cook for 30 secs or until fragrant

Once fragrant, add the tomato stock to the pan with the remaining lasagne sheets and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for a initial 7 min, stirring occasionally – this is your pasta mixture

While the pasta mixture is cooking, heat a separate large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with 15g [25g] [30g] butter over a medium heat

Once melted, add 15g [25g] [30g] flour and stir with a wooden spoon for 1 min or until a sandy paste forms – this is your roux

Add 200ml [300ml] [400ml] milk gradually and whisk for 5 min or until a smooth, thick sauce remains

Once thickened, remove from the heat, add half your grated Italian hard cheese and season with a pinch of salt and pepper – this is your béchamel

After an initial 7 min, top the pasta mixture with the béchamel (reserve the pan!) and cook for 3-4 min further or until the sauce has reduced and the pasta and mince are cooked through (no pink meat!) – this is your stove top lasagne

Wash your salad, then pat it dry with kitchen paper

Drain the soaked lasagne sheets

Add the drained lasagne sheets to a plate with the remaining grated Italian hard cheese, a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper and give everything a good mix up so the pasta is evenly coated

Wipe the reserved pan clean and return to a high heat

Once very hot, add the coated lasagne sheets and cook for 1-2 min on each side or until golden and crisp – these are your crispy lasagne sheets