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Hi there
I thought I'd share my version of the old classic with you. It's not a traditional lasagne, but I think just as good. For the meat sauce: 1 large onion, chopped 2 crushed cloves of garlic 250g rindless streaky bacon, finely chopped a bit of of cooking oil 600g lean minced beef 1 grated or finely chopped carrot 2 finely chopped stalks of celery 1 can of chopped italian tomatoes (410g) 25ml tomato paste 250ml red wine 250ml beef stock (either homemade or using a stock cube/ stock powder) The following fresh herbs, chopped: basil, thyme, oregano, italian parsley, rosemary, alternatively dried 1 fresh red chilli, seeded and finely chopped 1 packet (250g) Lasagne sheets (green or white). Fry bacon, onion and garlic for about 5 minutes. There should be enough fat from the bacon, otherwise add a bit of oil. Add the mince and fry until nicely browned, break up any lumps with a fork. Now add the rest of the ingredients except the herbs. A note on the stock, if it's commercial it's bound to contain a lot of salt, if it's homemade you may want to add some salt to taste. Herb quantities are a guideline only, as that really depends on individual tastes. I had a little bunch of each and 1 sprig of rosemary. The meat sauce should simmer for about 90 minutes, add half the herbs after about half an hour. Add the rest before you assemble the lasagne. Make sure the sauce is quite sloppy, the lasagne sheets need liquid to absorb. If necessary add a bit of water during cooking. Make the white sauce: 100g butter 125ml flour 800ml milk 125ml grated cheese, I used 1/3 nicely aged parmesan and 2/3 gouda. I don't like using cheddar as it's too greasy when melted, but mozarella also works fine Grated nutmeg, salt and pepper 125 ml grated cheese for sprinkling on top Melt butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour (use a whisk) and then gradually add the milk, beating with the whisk until the mixture is smooth and boiling. Stir in the cheese and seasoning. No need to boil, just let the cheese melt. To assemble: Butter a lasagne dish and spoon in a layer of meat sauce (remember to add the other half of the herbs), then lasagne sheets, then white sauce, lasagne sheets, meat sauce etc. Finish with a layer of white sauce. The number of layers depends on the size of the dish. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese, I used Mozarella for that. Let the dish stand for at least 30 minutes, then bake in a pre-heated oven (180 degrees C) for about 40 minutes. Let the lasagne stand for 10 minutes before serving. This is enough for 6 people if you serve it with a salad, but has been known to be polished off by 4  Hints: When you taste the meat sauce the chilli may be quite strong, the end result isn't, as the lasagne sheets and white sauce are quite bland. For a variation, replace the beef mince with ostrich mince and the bacon with chicken livers - seriously yummy! Sorry for the novel , but if you've never made lasagne it helps to have detailed instructions.
Hope you enjoy it as much as my family did yesterday. Ciao Heike |
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Hmmm, looks great, and thanks for the novel
, it does help being descriptive. Have you ever had leftovers? May sound strange but 1 day old lasagna always tastes much better than freshly made lasagna.
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