Jamie Oliver’s lasagne recipe is an ideal family dinner that can be frozen for another day

’s homemade lasagne recipe is perfect for enjoying with the family on cold wintry nights when everyone is craving a classic comfort dish.

The chef shared the from Foodtube on his official website, noting that this lasagne serves 12 people due to its remarkable size.

That’s why it’s perfect when paired with a fresh green salad for a satisfying and nutritious meal for all.

If you’re preparing this dish for young children, Jamie recommends omitting the bacon and avoiding seasoning with salt. Instead, the chef suggests seasoning your portion to taste once the dish is ready to serve.

The renowned restaurateur said: “Invest time in the ragù for this lovely lasagne and freeze the extra portions for a rainy day.”

Jamie Oliver’s classic family lasagne recipe

Ingredients

Two sprigs of fresh rosemary

100g higher-welfare smoked streaky bacon

Olive oil

One kg quality minced beef

One kg higher-welfare minced pork

Four carrots

Two onions

Four sticks of celery

Two heaped tablespoons tomato purée

Four 400g tins plum tomatoes

350g dried lasagne sheets

For the white sauce

150g mature Cheddar cheese

Two medium leeks

Two fresh bay leaves

Four tablespoons plain flour

One litre semi-skimmed milk

One whole nutmeg, for grating

Method

Start by stripping the rosemary leaves from their stems and chopping them finely, then do the same with the bacon. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large casserole dish over high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the rosemary and bacon, frying them for about two minutes until the bacon crisps up, stirring occasionally.

Next, add the minced meat to the pan, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon as you go. Lower the heat to medium and cook for at least 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid has evaporated.

Using the coarse grater attachment on your food processor (or a box grater), grate the Cheddar cheese and set it aside in a bowl. Then, swap the grater for the standard blade, trim and halve the carrots, and blitz them in the processor until they’re roughly the same size as the mince. Next, peel and halve the onions, add them to the processor, and blitz until everything is finely chopped.

Add the vegetables to the pan with the meat and continue blitzing and adding the celery. Cook the mixture for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables soften.

Stir in the tomato purée and plum tomatoes, breaking them up with a spoon. Fill the empty tomato tins with water and add that to the pan as well. Stir everything together, lower the heat, and let the mixture simmer for about two hours, stirring occasionally, until it thickens and reduces.

While the ragù is simmering, prepare the white sauce. Trim, wash, and slice the leeks, then add them to a pan with two tablespoons of oil and the bay leaves. Season lightly with sea salt and black pepper, then cook on low heat for 30 minutes, adding water as needed, until the leeks soften and become sweet.

Once the leeks are tender, stir in the flour and cook for a minute before gradually adding the milk, stirring continuously. Increase the heat to medium, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for five to 10 minutes until thickened, stirring often.

Transfer the sauce to the food processor and blend until smooth. Add half of the grated cheese and freshly grated nutmeg, mixing well. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Once the ragù has finished cooking, preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/gas mark 5. Season the ragù and set aside half for freezing, portioning it as needed for later use. Allow it to cool before transferring to freezer bags—label and date them to keep track. This makes reheating much easier when you’re ready to use it again.

To assemble your lasagne, spoon a quarter of the ragù into a large, deep ovenproof dish (roughly 25cm by 30cm) and spread it evenly. Add a quarter of the white sauce, then place a layer of lasagne sheets on top, ensuring they cover the sauce completely. Repeat the layering three more times, finishing with a layer of white sauce on top. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.

Bake the lasagne in the oven for about 45 minutes, or until golden and bubbling. Once cooked, let it sit for five to 10 minutes before serving.