Ingredients

• For the meat sauce
• 3 c. tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 kg lean ground beef
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 4 to 6 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• For the béchamel
• 1/4 cup (full) of butter
• 1/2 cup (full) all-purpose flour
• 600 ml of milk
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and pepper, to taste
• Others
• 375 g of pre-cooked lasagna leaves
• 450 g grated mozzarella
• 1 cup fresh parmesan, grated

Prepare the meat sauce

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and brown the onion and garlic; cook until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Reserve in a bowl. In the same pan, brown the ground beef. Once evenly brown, put the onion mixture back into the pan and add the tomato paste, tomato sauce and basil. Cover and simmer over very low heat for 1 ½ - 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.

Prepare the béchamel

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk. Gradually add the milk, still whisking, until thick and smooth. Remove from heat, add bay leaf, salt and pepper and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 ° F (175 ° C).

Assemble the lasagna

Cover the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch dish with a thin layer of meat sauce. Spread a little bechamel over, then cover with grated of mozzarella, then lasagna leaves. Repeat the layers: meat sauce, béchamel, mozzarella, lasagna leaves. Finish by sprinkling Parmesan and what may be left of mozzarella.

Bake 30-40 minutes, until bubbly and top is golden.