Name: Nduja lasagne
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 45 min
Total time: 2 h 5 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 onion finely chopped; 3 garlic cloves finely chopped or grated; 2 tbsp sundried or regular tomato purée; 500g beef mince; 4 tbsp nduja; 2 large tomatoes chopped; 400g can chopped tomatoes; 500ml vegetable stock; 1 basil sprig leaves picked and torn; 9 dried lasagne sheets; 200g grated mozzarella or cheddar; 125g ball mozzarella torn; 200g crème fraîche; 250g mascarpone; 50g grated parmesan plus extra to serve

Nduja lasagne being served with a green salad

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion
finely chopped
3 garlic cloves
finely chopped or grated
2 tbsp sundried or regular tomato purée
500g beef mince
4 tbsp nduja
2 large tomatoes
chopped
400g can chopped tomatoes
500ml vegetable stock
1 basil sprig
leaves picked and torn
9 dried lasagne sheets
200g grated mozzarella
or cheddar
125g ball mozzarella
torn

For the white sauce

200g crème fraîche
250g mascarpone
50g grated parmesan
plus extra to serve

Method

step 1
Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat and fry the onions and garlic for 5-6 mins until slightly softened. Add the tomato purée and stir. Add the beef mince, breaking it up with the back of spoon, and brown for a few minutes. Stir in the nduja, fresh and canned tomatoes, and the stock. Season with salt, black pepper and 1 tsp sugar. Add the basil, then bring to a simmer and cook for 45 mins-1 hr until slightly reduced.
step 2
To make the white sauce, mix together the crème fraîche, mascarpone, parmesan and a good grinding of black pepper in a bowl.
step 3
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Spread a third of the beef ragu over the base of a rectangular baking dish (ours was 25 x 18cm), then layer in three lasagne sheets. Spoon on a third of the white sauce, then add a handful of grated mozzarella or cheddar. Repeat to make three layers of each, finishing with the remainder of the white sauce. Top with mozzarella and more grated parmesan, if you like.
step 4
Cover and bake for 45 mins, then uncover, reduce the oven temperature to 180C/160C fan/gas 4, and bake for 15-20 mins more until the cheese is bubbling and golden.