Lasagne

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Snip the bacon into small pieces, add to the pan, and cook for a few minutes until it starts to turn golden. Add the onion, celery and carrot and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until softened.
2. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add the mince and break it up with a wooden spoon, cooking for about 6 minutes until browned all over.
3. Stir in the tomato purée, cook for 1 minute, then add the chopped tomatoes. Half-fill each can with water to rinse it out and tip that in too, along with the honey. Season and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Spread a little ragu over the base of a roasting tin or dish. Lay 2 sheets of lasagne on top, overlapping to fit, then carry on with more sauce and pasta for another 3 layers, finishing with pasta.
5. Loosen the crème fraîche with 2 tbsp water until pourable, spoon it over the pasta, then add the mozzarella and a scatter of Parmesan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden and bubbling, then finish with basil before serving.

Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen

• Give the ragu a genuinely long simmer; twenty minutes is the minimum and longer is better for that savoury depth.
• Taste and season the sauce properly before you build the layers, as a bland ragu can't be rescued once it's baked.
• Keep your layers even and moderate rather than piling them high, so everything cooks through.
• Once out of the oven, let it stand for five minutes or so before slicing and it will hold together far better.