BBC Good Food's 'easiest ever' lasagne recipe that takes just 15 minutes

A delicious lasagne is a meal that most would be delighted to tuck into after a long day.

This classic Italian dish is a family favourite and never fails to impress. As the chill sets in, many are turning their thoughts towards comforting home-cooked meals that are easy to whip up mid-week.

However, making a lasagne from scratch can seem like a daunting task. But fear not, as BBC Good Food has shared an "easiest ever" recipe for this scrumptious dish, allowing anyone to create it like a true Italian chef. The key components of a lasagne are pasta, ragu and sauce, and it's crucial to get these right. But the experts have also shared tips on how to make it taste as good as it looks.

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The recipe claims to take just 15 minutes to prepare and between 25 to 30 minutes to cook. "Kids will love to help assemble this easiest-ever pasta bake with streaky bacon, beef mince, a crème fraiche sauce and gooey mozzarella," the description reads. Adding a few secret ingredients can really make your lasagne stand out. Try adding bacon to the ragu for a smoky flavour and sprinkle both mozzarella and parmesan on top for extra indulgence.

Ingredients

• One tablespoon of olive oil
• Two rashers smoky streaked bacon
• One onion, finely chopped
• One Celery stick, finely chopped
• One medium carrot, grated
• Two garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 500g beef mince
• One tablespoon of tomato puree
• Two 400g cans of chopped tomatoes
• One tablespoon of clear honey

Method

You'll need 500g of fresh egg lasagne sheets, 400ml creme fraiche, a 125 ball of mozzarella (roughly torn), 50g of grated parmesan and a large handful of torn basil leaves. To whip up this easy classic dish, start by heating oil in a large pan, chopping the bacon into small chunks and adding it in.

After a few minutes, toss in the onion, celery and carrot, and let them cook over medium heat for five minutes, giving them an occasional stir until they soften. Then, add the garlic and leave it for another minute.

Next, you'll need to throw in the mince, stirring and breaking it up with a wooden spoon, then leave it for about six minutes until it's browned all over. Once it's browned, mix in the tomato puree and cook for one minute, ensuring it blends well with the beef and veggies.

Tip in the chopped tomatoes. To make sure you don't miss any, fill each can half full with water to rinse out any remaining tomatoes, and add this to the pan. Add the honey and season to taste. Let it simmer for 20 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. To assemble the lasagne, ladle a bit of the ragu sauce into the bottom of the roasting tin or casserole dish, spreading the sauce all over the base. Place two sheets of lasagne on top of the sauce, overlapping them to make them fit, then repeat with more sauce and another layer of pasta. Continue this process with two more layers of sauce and pasta, finishing with a layer of pasta.

Whip up the crème fraiche in a bowl, adding two tbsp water to get it just right for a smooth, pourable sauce. Drizzle that goodness over your pasta, then crown it with mozzarella. A generous sprinkle of Parmesan on top and into the oven it goes for 25 to 30 minutes until it's gloriously golden and bubbling. Finish off with a scatter of basil leaves.

Foodies couldn't wait to try this simple yet scrumptious recipe, with one raving: "Followed the recipe to the letter and it turned out amazing. Best tasting lasagne I've ever had! " Another added their praise, saying: "Nice, really yummy and family loved it."