We all love lasagne, it really is a firm favourite.  This is not traditional because it has a cheese sauce but it how we love it.  For me, the cheese goes so well with the rich tomato sauce.

Ingredients
750/800g mince (I use plant pioneers or quorn) 
2 tbsp olive oil 
2 medium onions, finely chopped 
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 
1 tsp chilli powder 
200ml red wine 
4 tbsp tomato purée 
1 tin of tomatoes chopped or pulped 
700g passata  
2 tsp mixed Italian herbs 
2 tbsp sugar 
425ml milk or plant based milk of choice, I use Oatly barista 
50g flour 
50g butter or dairy free butter  
150g cheddar or cheddar style plant based cheese (I like Cathedral City), grated  
250g lasagne sheets 
2 tbsps pecorino or parmesan style cheese, grated 
Salt 
Pepper 

Method
Put 1 tbsp oil in a wok or frying pan and add the onion and cook for a 5-7 minutes until translucent, add the garlic and continue to cook for a few minutes. Add the tomato puree, stir thoroughly and cook for a further minute.

Add the red wine and scrape the caramelised bits from the bottom.  Cook for a few minutes until the liquid has almost gone. Add the tins of tomatoes, the passata, herbs, chilli powder and sugar.  Mix thoroughly, add your Pecorino or Parmesan style cheese and cook on a medium heat for at least 20-30 minutes until it is reduced, rich and utterly delicious.  This sauce is richer than Bolognese but because of the creamy cheesy top layer the finished dish does not feel too much.  Once the tomato base has reduced so it is thick, add the mince.

While the sauce is bubbling away get your pasta sheets and cheese sauce ready. 

Bring a large pan of water to the boil. 

To make your béchamel add the butter and flour and vigorously stir until the butter has melted and for another minute.  Slowly add your milk a bit at a time, stirring to ensure there are no lumps as you go.  Leave the sauce to cook on a low heat for 5 minutes.  Turn off the heat, add the cheese and stir until melted.  Check the seasoning of both your cheese sauce and your tomato sauce and adjust where necessary.  Preheat your oven to 180c. 

When the water is boiling add your lasagne sheets one at a time and stir carefully regularly to keep them from sticking together.  Cook for 4-5 minutes. Carefully take out your sheets and lay on a greased tin/container making sure they do not overlap.  Put a sheet of greaseproof paper or cling film if you need to to separate. 

In a large square dish add 2 ladles of the tomato sauce and evenly spread over the bottom of your dish and top with pasta sheets.  My dish takes 1 whole sheet and a quarter sheet to cover my dish so I just cut a sheet into 4. 

The next layer I add just 1 ladle of the tomato sauce and spread it over, topping with another layer of pasta, tomato sauce, pasta etc.  I usually get 5 tomato layers and 5 pasta layers.  I cover the last layer in all the cheese sauce.  Bake for 30-45 minutes until golden brown.  Cut into 9 portions. Serve with garlic bread.