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A portion of Welsh Lamb lasagne, photographed side-on to capture the layers of lamb ragu, lasagne sheets and bechamel sauce.
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Welsh Lamb Lasagne With Caerphilly Béchamel

Ease into autumn with this comforting PGI Welsh Lamb lasagne, layered with a creamy Caerphilly cheese béchamel. A delicious dish that showcases the flavour and versatility of PGI Welsh Lamb, it’s just the thing to see us through the last days of summer - although no doubt you’ll be turning to this minced lamb recipe again during the colder months.
Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine British, Italian, UK, Welsh
Keyword Caerphilly cheese, lamb, pasta, Welsh food, Welsh Lamb
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 777kcal
Author Kacie Morgan
Cost £2.50

Equipment

  • 1 lasagne dish approx. 20cm long × 14 cm wide × 5cm deep
  • 1 casserole dish or heavy-based deep frying pan

Ingredients

For the Welsh Lamb ragù

  • 500 g Welsh Lamb mince
  • 1 tbsp olive oil if needed
  • 1 brown onion finely diced
  • 1 large carrot finely diced
  • 1 celery stick finely diced
  • 2 garlic cloves finely chopped or crushed
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • 150 ml red wine
  • 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 150 ml lamb or beef stock
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary leaves finely chopped
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Caerphilly béchamel

  • 50 g butter
  • 50 g plain flour
  • 600 ml whole milk
  • 150 g Caerphilly cheese crumbled or grated
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

To assemble

  • 9 fresh lasagne sheets approx (enough for three layers)
  • 50 g Caerphilly cheese grated
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

Instructions

  • If the lamb mince is relatively lean, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, skillet or casserole over a medium-high heat. Add the mince and cook until well browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Drain off any excess fat, reserving a little for cooking the vegetables, then transfer the lamb to a plate or bowl.
    Brown the minced lamb
  • Add a little of the reserved lamb fat to the same pan, followed by the onion, carrot and celery. Cook over a medium heat for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.
    Softening the diced onion, celery and carrot in a casserole pan
  • Return the browned lamb to the pan. Stir in the tomato purée and cook for 1-2 minutes before pouring in the red wine, scraping up any caramelised bits from the bottom of the pan. Allow to bubble for a few minutes, until noticeably reduced.
    Return the browned mince to the pan with the softened onion, celery and carrot, and add the tomato puree.
  • Add the chopped tomatoes, stock, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, and rosemary. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
    Add the chopped tomatoes to the pan along with the bay leaf, fresh rosemary, dried oregano, lamb stock, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper.
  • Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the ragù is rich and thick. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
    Stir the ragu sauce until thick, removing the bay leaf once you've finished cooking.
  • Meanwhile, make the Caerphilly béchamel. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add the flour and stir continuously for 1-2 minutes, then gradually whisk in the milk, adding a little at first and whisking until smooth before adding more.
    A spoon dangled over the saucepan, holding some bechamel sauce with a thick consistency.
  • Once all the milk has been incorporated, cook gently, whisking regularly, until the sauce has thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in 150g Caerphilly until melted. Add the nutmeg and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
    Making roux: once the milk, butter and flour mixture has thickened, stir in grated cheese before adding nutmeg, salt and pepper.
  • Preheat the oven to 180°C fan / 200°C conventional. Spread a thin layer of lamb ragù over the base of the baking dish and top with a layer of fresh lasagne sheets. Add another layer of ragù followed by Caerphilly béchamel. Repeat with another layer of pasta, ragù and béchamel.
    Add a final layer of lasagne sheets on top of the Bechamel sauce.
  • Finish with a final layer of fresh lasagne sheets and the remaining béchamel, making sure the pasta is completely covered.
    Finish assembling the lasagne with a layer of bechamel
  • Scatter over the remaining 50g Caerphilly.
    Scatter grated Caerphilly cheese over the Bechamel sauce
  • Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes, until bubbling, golden brown and the pasta is tender. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 10-15 minutes.
    The cooked lamb lasagne
  • Garnish with the fresh thyme leaves, then slice and serve.

Notes

  • You can use dried lasagne sheets if you prefer, but fresh lasagne sheets are easier to cut to size to fit the dish if needed, and tend to cook more evenly. 
  • You may need to alter the quantities if you use a different size of oven or lasagne dish - I used a deep lasagne dish measuring 20cm long × 14cm wide × 5cm deep. 

Nutrition

Serving: 353g | Calories: 777kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 170mg | Sodium: 530mg | Potassium: 738mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 2556IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 429mg | Iron: 5mg