Pork and artichoke brown-butter lasagne with caper pangrattato

Method

1. Strain both artichoke jars through a sieve set over a bowl to collect the oil – you’ll need 6 tbsp of the oil for this dish, but the rest can be kept to cook with or dress salads. Reserve the artichokes.
2. Pour 3 tbsp of the artichoke oil into a large, heavy-bottomed pan over a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onion, garlic, celery and carrot, then cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until starting to soften. Add the mince and turn up the heat. Break it up with a wooden spoon and fry until browned and caramelised in places, stirring often and removing excess liquid with a ladle to ensure it is frying, not boiling in the liquid it releases.
3. Stir in the tomato pureé, cook for a minute, then add the white wine. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half (about 8 minutes). Tip in the tin of tomatoes, stock, bay leaf, herbs and half of the artichokes and cover. Simmer over a low heat for 25 minutes, then remove the lid and simmer for another 20 minutes.
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4. While the ragù simmers, make the brown-butter bechamel. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat and cook until the white solids have turned golden and it smells sweet and nutty. Stir in the flour, cook for a minute while stirring continuously, then whisk in the milk, bit by bit, until you have a thick, smooth sauce. Stir in the parmesan, nutmeg and vinegar, then season well with salt and pepper. Keep warm over a very low heat.
5. Add 2 tbsp of the artichoke oil to a small frying pan over a medium heat. Once hot, add the breadcrumbs and fry until golden, stirring often for an even toasting. Remove from the pan to a sheet of kitchen paper, then add the final tbsp of artichoke oil followed by the drained capers. Fry until crispy. Drain on a sheet of kitchen paper to soak up excess oil, then set aside.
6. When the ragù is nearly ready, heat the oven to 180°C/160ºC fan/gas 4. Assemble the lasagne in a large oven dish, starting with a quarter of the ragù, followed by a layer of lasagne sheets, then a quarter of the bechamel. Repeat, ensuring you end with a layer of bechamel. Scatter over the remaining artichokes, grate over more parmesan and sprinkle with the crumbs and crispy capers. Bake for 45 minutes, then leave to cool for 10 minutes before serving.