If there is one meal that is a labour of love, it's a traditional Tuscan-style lasagna. Warm and comforting, gooey and rich, this is family comfort food at its very best! The trick behind the simple complexity of this dish is to have everything prepped and ready to go well in advance of assembling: be sure to get the meat sauce simmering before making the béchamel, and then have both sauces, the noodles, and the grated cheese all set up mise en place- after that it's an easy task that the kids will love helping out with.

NOTE: some noodles need to be prepared prior to assembly and some are ready to cook as is - be sure you know which you have before assembling lasagna! This recipe freezes well and was a staple in our frozen foods section at LSFF. Do yourself a favour and double this up while you're in the groove of making it for an easy "pull out in the morning and pop in at dinner” meal!

1 x Family Sized Lasagna

2.5 lbs lean ground beef
2 large onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 lg cans diced tomatoes, juice on the side
2 cans tomato paste (1/2 cup)
1 cup red wine
1 cup beef stock or reserved tomato juice
2 bay leaves
½ bunch fresh parsley chopped
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 cups shredded parmesan
1 package or enough fresh lasagna noodles for one large casserole dish
1 recipe bechamel sauce
Béchamel
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk
1 cup cream
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
sea salt

For Béchamel

In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium-low heat until melted. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Over medium heat, cook until the mixture turns a light, golden sandy color, about 6 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the milk and cream in a separate pan until just about to boil. Add to the butter mixture 1 cup at a time, whisking continuously until very smooth. Bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes, stirring constantly, then remove from heat. Season with sea salt and nutmeg, and set aside until ready to use.

For Lasagna

Sauté onions in olive oil until they become soft and translucent. Add beef, beef stock or tomato juice, tomatoes, wine and bay leaves. Simmer 2-3 hours. Add tomato paste, parsley, sea salt and pepper.

Prepare lasagna noodles as per directions on package or as instructed with fresh noodles.

To assemble the lasagna starting at the bottom: