Start the Ragù: Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based pan or Dutch oven over a medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery (this mix is called a soffritto) and cook gently for 10-12 minutes, until softened and sweet. Add the crushed garlic and cook for one more minute.

Brown the Meat: Turn up the heat, add the beef mince and diced pancetta to the pan. Break up the mince with a wooden spoon and cook for 5-7 minutes, until browned all over.

Deglaze and Simmer: Pour in the red wine and let it bubble away, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Once the wine has mostly evaporated, stir in the tinned tomatoes, beef stock, oregano, and the bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper, bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it cook gently for at least 45 minutes, or up to an hour, stirring occasionally. The longer it simmers, the richer it will be.

Make the Béchamel Sauce: While the ragù simmers, make the béchamel. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over a low-medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes to form a paste (this is a roux). Gradually pour in the milk, a little at a time, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Once all the milk is incorporated, turn up the heat slightly and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, stirring until it has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and stir in the grated nutmeg and 50g of Parmesan. Season to taste.

Preheat Oven and Prepare Dish: Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Lightly grease a large rectangular oven dish (approximately 20x30cm).

Assemble the Lasagna: Now it's time to build the layers. What works best for me is this order: Start with a thin layer of ragù on the bottom of the dish.

Cover with a single layer of lasagna sheets, overlapping slightly.

Spread over a third of the remaining ragù.

Top with a quarter of the béchamel sauce.

Repeat these layers two more times: pasta, ragù, béchamel.

Finish with a final layer of pasta sheets, the last of the béchamel, and scatter the torn mozzarella and remaining 50g of grated Parmesan over the top.

Bake Until Golden: Place the dish on a baking tray (to catch any potential spills) and bake for 35-45 minutes, until the top is golden brown, bubbling, and the pasta is cooked through. You can check the pasta is cooked by inserting a sharp knife into the centre.

Rest Before Serving: This is a crucial step! Let the lasagna rest for at least 10-15 minutes before cutting and serving. This allows the layers to set, making it much easier to serve neat slices.