Venison Lasagne

A spin on the layered pasta favourite. The ultimate in comfort food.

Ingredients (serves five-seven)

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Meat sauce:

Venison pot roast pack

Olive oil

4 cloves garlic sliced

2 onion diced

2 large carrots diced

2 sticks of celery diced

1.5 glasses red wine

2 tbsp tomato paste

720ml passata

720ml water

¼ bunch thyme

½ bunch oregano

4 bay leaf

Salt and pepper

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White sauce:

4 tbsp butter

¼ cup flour

700ml milk

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 cups grated cheddar cheese firmly packed ½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper

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The rest:

Pasta sheets (fresh or dried)

½ cup grated Parmesan

1 cup cheddar cheese grated

250g mozzarella sliced

How to make it

Heat a large pot or dutch oven to a medium-hot heat and add a splash of olive oil.
Pat dry the venison and seal on both sides for about 3 minutes or until golden brown, then set aside.
Add a splash more oil, then add the garlic, onion, carrot and celery with a pinch of salt.
Lower the heat to medium and saute for about 4 minutes until tender.
Add the tomato paste and stir constantly for about 30 seconds.
Turn the heat up and then add the wine and deglaze the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
Add the passata and return the venison to the pot.
Add the water until the venison is just covered, then add the herbs and bring to a simmer.
Place a lid on the pot and put it in the oven at 160°C for 4-5 hours.
Check the meat occasionally - when it is very tender and falls off the bone it is ready.
Then with tongs and a fork flake up the meat and make sure it is well mixed through the sauce.
For the white sauce, begin by melting the butter in a pot over a medium heat (you can start this about an hour from the meat sauce from being ready).
When the butter is melted add the mustard and flour, and with a wooden spoon quickly mix and cook the flour out until it has changed colour slightly.
Add a few glugs of the milk and mix until it becomes a paste.
Continue this process until all the milk is used and you have a smooth white sauce (if any lumps appear that you can't get rid of after you’ve already added half the milk, use a hand whisk while adding the rest of the milk).
Sprinkle in the grated cheddar and parmesan. When that becomes fully melted and smooth, adjust the seasoning to taste and remove from the heat.
Use a piece of baking paper to cover the sauce, to prevent a skin from forming.
When both sauces are ready, take a baking dish and begin layering, starting with a layer of pasta sheets, followed by a very thin layer of the white sauce and then the meat sauce. This should be repeated as many times as possible, but remember to save a larger amount of the white sauce to finish on top.
Sprinkle the remaining grated cheese on top, then add the mozzarella slices.
Bake at 160°C for about 30-40 mins or until the cheese is golden brown and the pasta sheets are soft all the way through.