Bolognese pasta bake

Method

• step 1

  Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan and fry the onion, celery and carrot with a generous pinch of salt for 15 mins until golden and soft. Keep stirring regularly and adjust the heat so make sure they don’t burn but start to caramelise evenly. Add the garlic and fry for a few minutes until fragrant before adding the mince. Fry, turning the mince in the veg, for 10 mins until well browned. Add the purée and cook for another 5 mins until it turns dark red. Stir in the wine, bay leaves, tomatoes and stock to just cover the mince. Bring to a simmer, put on the lid onand cook for 1 hr over a low heat. Remove the lid and cook for another 30 mins to thicken the sauce. Season well.

• step 2

  To make the béchamel, heat the butter in a pan until foaming. Sprinkle over the flour and stir until it forms a golden paste. Add the milk, a splash at a time, while stirring. The flour will absorb the milk quickly, so adding it a little at a time and stirring continually will help achieve a smooth, creamy sauce. Once all the milk has been added, stir in most of the parmesan, the bay leaf and nutmeg. Season well with salt and pepper.

• step 3

  Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Reheat the bolognese if you made it previously, and stir three-quarters of the béchamel through the ragu to make a thick, creamy sauce. Remove from the heat. Cook the pasta in salted water for 6-8 mins or until just cooked. Stir through the sauce and transfer to a large baking dish. Pour the reserved béchamel over the top and scatter over the mozzarella. Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan and bake for 25-30 mins or until golden and bubbling. Leave to sit for 5 mins before serving with a green salad and garlic bread, if you like.