Heat the olive oil in a large skillet/non stick pot over medium heat.

Once the oil is hot, add the finely chopped onions, carrots and celery. Make sure the stove is on medium heat and let it cook for about 8 minutes until soft. If your stove is hot on medium then drop it to low to give the soffritto a chance to cook. Keep stirring to prevent sticking and add the garlic half way through.

Add the pancetta/bacon and fry for a few seconds (if using any)

Add the beef mince and using a wooden spoon, mix the meat into the soffritto, cook on low to medium heat until the mince is no longer pink in color.

Season with with salt and pepper to taste.Add pasta spice and garlic and herb spice.

Add the chopped canned tomatoes, turn the heat up to medium high. Add a dash of water into the tomato cans, swirl and toss that into the pot. Add the tomato paste, the passata, taste for seasoning and bring it to a simmer.

Once you have it on a high simmer, lower the heat to a low and very gentle simmer and add the wine if using.

Cover with a lid and leave to simmer for about an hour and half. Keep turning it over with a wooden spoon and return the lid. If the sauce is cooked down too much add a dash of water (like a ¼ cup) to keep going for the full hour and half to 2 hours.

After the two hours, remove the lid and leave it to continue simmering for another 30 minutes until the sauce is thick and cooked in (as in, less liquid). You can turn the heat off if you're happy with the thickness of the meat sauce. If not let it continue cooking until the liquid has cooked down more. Turn the oven on to 180/190 degrees Celsius.

Melt the butter in a saucepan.

With the stove on low heat once the butter has melted, add the flour and start whisking (you can also use a wooden spoon and then later change to a whisk to help with any lumps).

You want the flour to cook with the butter but not burn so whisk whisk whisk until you have a 'Roux' (butter and flour mix).

Into the Roux - Pour the milk in and continue whisking until you get a smooth paste, add more milk, keep whisking until you get a white sauce (béchamel sauce).

Add the salt, nutmeg and fold in the Parmesan cheese (and milk if you need any). The sauce should be thick but pourable without any lumps. See full recipe here for tips and tricks.

Whisk a lot = no lumps

Use enough meat sauce and white sauce to cover each layer but also make sure you have enough sauce for all the layers so use your own judgement. Start by spreading a little ragu (meat sauce) over the base of the oven dish (¼ cup). Use a spoon to spread the sauce throughout the bottom of the dish. Layer lasagna sheets over the ragu to fit the pan. Add ragu sauce again over the lasagna sheets and spread it to cover the sheets.Followed by the white sauce.

Go again with lasagna sheets over the white sauce. Then ragu meat sauce. White sauce again. Lasagna sheets. Keep alternating like this until you reach the top of the oven dish and have filled it with lasagna sheets and the sauces. You must finish strong in a classic lasagna so finish as follows: Finish off with ragu meat sauce, white sauce and top it with grated mozzarella. See notes below on cheese.

Get the oven rack in the middle. Bake, uncovered at 190°C for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Let the lasagna stand and cool down before serving! I beg you, minimum 15 minutes 20 minutes if you can and 30 min if you want a firm square of lasagna. It will still be warm enough to be enjoyed. If you've ever eaten lasagna the next day you will understand why. The squares hold their shape much better!Garnish with chopped parsley bits. Enjoy!