Tom Kerridge's Lasagne

Tom Kerridge's Lasagne recipe is a proper weekend cooking, but the result is more than worth the time! I've made this recipe more than once, and while it takes several hours from start to finish, the rich ragu and savory flavors really will are the best!

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This is just the type of food that was the influence for Slow The Cook Down.  Cooking up this lasagne, along with a host of other recipes from Kerridge, was my Sunday chill out time.  Slowly drinking wine, slowly cooking, happy days before the onslaught of another Monday morning commute!

Tom Kerridge's lasagne is full of big bold flavors. The beef mince is roasted for an amazing taste, the tomatoes are cooked down slowly and the white sauce is seasoned with thyme. It is, of course, finished with plenty of cheese.

This is Tom Kerridge's recipe, that I have made and reviewed. I have rewritten the methods in my own words and included the practical notes I've picked up from cooking it.

How to Make Tom Kerridge's Lasagne

Scroll down to the recipe card for full instructions, ingredients and quantities

Make the roasted mince

• Rince the beef mince (ground beef) under cold water.
• Pat dry and roast for 5 minutes.
• Stir and add the star anise and cloves, return to the oven for 10 minutes.
• Remove the spices and roast until a very dark brown (about 40 minutes).
• Drain the fat and place to one side.

Make the ragu

• Roast the tomatoes for 20 minutes with sugar and salt.
• Place them under the broiler quickly to char them. Set to one side.
• In a large pot, brown the pancetta, then add the chopped celery, carrot and garlic. Cook til they soften.
• Stir in sugar, oregano. bay leaves, red wine and the vinegar.
• Simmer and reduce by half.
• Add the beef, spices, tomatoes, mushroom and stock. Cook gently for 90 minutes.
• Stir in the fresh herbs.

Make the white sauce

• In a small pot, add the milk, onion, thyme and bay leaves.
• Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat. Allow to sit for 15 minutes.
• In another pot, melt the butter and stir in the flour.
• Strain the milk into the butter and flour and stir until you have a thick sauce.
• Stir in the nutmeg and parmesan and remove from the heat.

Build and cook the lasagne

• Place a layer of meat in an ovenproof dish.
• Cover with pasta sheets, then a layer of white sauce.
• Repeat the layers two more times.
• Finish with a layer of white sauce and sprinkle with parmesan.
• Bake for 30-45 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.

Tips for Making Tom Kerridge's Lasagne

• Give yourself plenty of time, this is not a quick weeknight dinner! It takes me around 6 hours to make, and the first time took around 8 hours.
• Brown the beef well. This is where the rich flavor comes from. Cook it until it is a really dark brown, don't rush this bit.
• Tom uses a spice bag to add the star anise and cloves to the mince. I have done it without a spice bag, just be diligent and make sure you pick all of the pieces out.
• Be patient with the ragu. Slow cooking it gives it such a bold flavor.
• Let the lasagne rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing it. It's much easier to serve.
• Some people who have made this recipe find the amounts of herbs a little overpowering. Personally I love the flavors, but you can reduce the amounts.
• Tom Kerridge's original recipe uses fresh lasagne sheets. I used dried and they worked very well without pre-cooking. They are also easier to handle!
• Tom Kerridge's original recipe uses just parmesan cheese. If you are feeling indulgent, some slices of mozzea

Make Ahead, Storage and Reheating

This is a great make ahead recipe. Tom Kerridge notes that it tastes even better the next day as the flavors have more time to develop.

This is a huge recipe. You can easily split it up by making the ragu the day before and keeping it covered in the fridge overnight.

You can build the lasagne, cover it and keep it refrigerated, then bake it the next day.

Storage

Once cooked, let the lasagne cool, then keep it covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Reheating

Reheat individual portions in the microwave. Cover a larger portion with foil and reheat in the oven at 360F/180c til piping hot.

Freezing

You can freeze the cooked lasagne for up to 3 months. Defrost before reheating.

If you’re looking for an easier pasta dinner, try my Creamy Pesto Beef Pasta or Spaghetti Bolognese Bake, or browse all of my pasta recipes.

Tom Kerridge's Lasagne

Tom Kerridge’s rich and hearty lasagne is a proper weekend cooking project, with deeply browned beef, slow-cooked ragu, creamy Parmesan white sauce and layers of pasta. It takes time, but the bold flavors and generous portions make it worth the effort.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: british

Prep Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours hours 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 6 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 959kcal

Author: Slow The Cook Down

Equipment

• Oven proof dish approx 30x20x10cm (12×8x4 inches)

Ingredients

For the lasagne

• 800 grams minced beef
• 4 star anise
• 4 cloves
• 1.4 kg ripe plum tomatoes halved lengthways
• 20 grams caster sugar
• 2 teaspoons flaky sea salt
• Vegetable oil for cooking
• 200 grams pancetta diced
• 2 Spanish onions finely diced
• 2 celery sticks finely sliced
• 2 carrots finely diced
• 4 garlic cloves grated
• 100 grams demerara sugar
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 4 bay leaves
• 200 ml red wine
• 100 ml red wine vinegar
• 300 grams button mushrooms stalks removed and halved
• 600 ml beef stock
• 4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
• 500 grams fresh lasagne sheets
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the white sauce

• 750 ml milk
• ½ onion
• ½ bunch thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 60 grams butter
• 60 grams plain flour
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 225 grams freshly grated Parmesan cheese

To serve

• Crisp green salad
• Crusty bread

Instructions

Make the roasted mince

• Preheat the oven to 190c.
• Place the beef mince in a colander and rinse under cold water to separate it.
  800 grams minced beef
• Drain and pat dry. Place in a roasting tin and roast in the preheated oven for 5 minutes and stir well.
• Place the star anise and cloves in a muslin bag and tie with kitchen string. Add it to the mince and roast in the oven for 10 minutes.
  4 star anise, 4 cloves
• Remove the spices, stir again, and continue roasting until the beef is a very dark brown, about 40 minutes.
• Drain off the fat (you can use a colander for this) and set the beef and spice bag to one side.
• Keep the oven on.

Make the ragu

• Place the tomatoes, cut side up, on a roasting tray and sprinkle with salt and sugar.
  1.4 kg ripe plum tomatoes, 20 grams caster sugar, 2 teaspoons flaky sea salt
• Roast the tomatoes in the oven for 20 minutes.
• Place them briefly under the broiler to char them, then set to one side.
• In a large pot, brown the pancetta, then add the chopped onions, celery, carrot and garlic. Cook until softened.
  Vegetable oil, 200 grams pancetta, 2 Spanish onions, 2 celery sticks, 2 carrots, 4 garlic cloves
• Stir in the sugar, dried oregano, bay leaves, red wine and red wine vinegar.
  100 grams demerara sugar, 2 tablespoons dried oregano, 4 bay leaves, 200 ml red wine, 100 ml red wine vinegar
• Bring to a boil then simmer to reduce by half.
• Add the roasted beef, spice bag, tomatoes, mushrooms and stock and bring back to a boil. Cook gently, at aa very low simmer, for 90 minutes. Stir occasionally.
  300 grams button mushrooms, 600 ml beef stock
• Stir in the fresh oregano and sage and season to taste.
  4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano, 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
• Remove the spice bag and take off the heat. You can keep this ragu in the fridge overnight.

Make the white sauce

• Add the milk, onion, thyme and bay leaves to a small pot.
  750 ml milk, ½ onion, ½ bunch thyme, 2 bay leaves
• Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and cover the pot. Leave to infuse for 15 minutes.
• In a separate pot, melt the butter on a low heat and stir in the flour.
  60 grams butter, 60 grams plain flour
• Strain the infused milk into the butter and flour mixture with a sieve. Stir until you have a thick, smooth sauce.
• Stir in the nutmeg and150g of the parmesan, then remove from the heat once the cheese has melted.
  1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 225 grams freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Build and cook the lasagne

• Place a layer of the meat ragu in an ovenproof dish.
• Cover with lasagne sheets, followed by a layer of white sauce.
  500 grams fresh lasagne sheets
• Repeat the layers twice more.
• Finish with a layer of white sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan.
• Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, until golden brown and bubbling.

Notes

Betty's Tips

• Give yourself plenty of time, this is not a quick weeknight dinner! It takes me around 6 hours to make, and the first time took around 8 hours.
• Brown the beef well. This is where the rich flavor comes from. Cook it until it is a really dark brown, don't rush this bit. It should almost look fried.
• Tom uses a spice bag to add the star anise and cloves to the mince. I have done it without a spice bag, just be diligent and make sure you pick all of the pieces out.
• Be patient with the ragu. Slow cooking it gives it such a bold flavor.
• Let the lasagne rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing it. It's much easier to serve.
• Some people who have made this recipe find the amounts of herbs a little overpowering. Personally I love the flavors, but you can reduce the amounts.
• Tom Kerridge's original recipe uses fresh lasagne sheets. I used dried and they worked very well without pre-cooking. They are also easier to handle!
• Tom Kerridge's original recipe uses just parmesan cheese. If you are feeling indulgent, some slices of mozzarella make a wonderful topping.

Nutrition

Calories: 959kcal | Carbohydrates: 79g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 49g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 180mg | Sodium: 1544mg | Potassium: 1499mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 4684IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 604mg | Iron: 8mg

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