Wood-Fired Lasagne

There's something about lasagne from a wood-fired oven that a kitchen oven just can't match - the top gets this incredible golden crust from the radiant heat while the layers below stay rich and saucy. This is the classic Italian approach: five layers of ragu, pasta, bechamel, and Parmesan, baked until it's bubbling and gorgeous. The key is not to overcook it; you want the layers distinct, not melted into one homogeneous mass.

Ingredients

• 500g fresh lasagne sheets (or about 300g dried)
• 500g meat ragu (your own, or good shop-bought bolognese)
• 500ml bechamel sauce
• 200g Parmesan, freshly grated
• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil (for the pasta water)
• A knob of butter for greasing

Method

1. If using fresh lasagne sheets, blanch them briefly in boiling salted water with a splash of oil to stop them sticking. Drain and lay out on tea towels. Dried sheets can go in as they are.
2. Let your pizza oven settle to around 200°C.
3. Butter a deep oven-safe dish. Start with a thin layer of ragu on the base.
4. Build five layers: pasta, ragu, bechamel, Parmesan - repeat. Finish with a final layer of bechamel topped with a generous coating of Parmesan.
5. Slide into your oven and bake for about 40-45 minutes. The top should be deeply golden and the sauce bubbling up at the edges.
6. Rest for 10 minutes before cutting. This is essential - lasagne that hasn't rested collapses into a puddle when you cut it.