Vincisgrassi

Step 1: Warm 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 oz butter in a heavy casserole over a medium-low heat. Add 1 onion, 1 carrot and 1 celery stick and cook gently, stirring, until soft and pale gold.

Step 2: Turn the heat to medium-high, add 10 ½ oz pork mince and 10 ½ oz veal mince and break them up with a wooden spoon. Fry until all the pink has gone and the meat is browning in places; stir in the chopped chicken livers, if using, for the last 2 minutes.

Step 3: Pour in ¾ cup dry white wine and let it bubble until the smell of alcohol has gone and the liquid has mostly evaporated.

Step 4: Stir in 2 tbsp tomato paste for a minute, then add 1 ¾ cups tomato passata, 2 cups chicken stock, 1 pinch ground cloves and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a bare simmer, partly cover and cook on the lowest heat, stirring now and then, until thick, glossy and dark red with fat pooling at the edges. The mince must reach at least 160°F, which it will long before this.

Step 5: For the béchamel, melt 2 ⅞ oz butter in a saucepan over a medium heat, stir in 2 ⅞ oz plain flour and cook for 2 minutes without browning. Whisk in 4 ¼ cups whole milk a ladle at a time and simmer, whisking, until it coats the back of a spoon. Season with ½ tsp grated nutmeg and a pinch of salt.

Step 6: If using dried sheets, cook them now; fresh sheets can go in raw or blanched for 30 seconds. Lay 1 ⅛ lb fresh egg lasagne sheets out on clean tea towels so they don't stick together.

Step 7: Heat the oven to 375°F (350°F fan). Butter a 30 × 22 cm dish and spread a thin layer of béchamel over the base.

Step 8: Build at least six layers: pasta, a ladle of ragù, a ladle of béchamel and a scattering of 3 ⅜ oz parmigiano reggiano. Don't be generous with the sauce on each layer: too much is the usual reason vincisgrassi slumps into a soupy heap instead of standing in neat layers.

Step 9: Finish with pasta, the last of the béchamel, the rest of ⅞ oz parmigiano reggiano and dots of ⅔ oz butter. Bake until the top is deep golden and bubbling at the edges.

Step 10: Rest the dish for at least 20 minutes before cutting, so the layers firm up and hold their shape.