Lasagne
There are few meals that our family enjoys more than a home-made lasagne. All that cheesy, meaty deliciousness is hard to beat. With a couple of exceptions, I have rarely had a lasagne in a restaurant that is as good as this one. No floppy pasta or sloppy meat, this recipe will fill those tummies and have them asking for lasagne more often than you probably want to hear. We usually have this with boiled vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, peas or the like. Alternatively, serve it with with some fresh salad or garlic bread.
Take a Basic Bolognese . . .
The Bolognese part of this recipe is exactly the same as the one I use for Spaghetti Bolognese. I always feel that making a lasagne from scratch is a real labour of love, so I usually make the Bolognese in advance. Then, I just have to make the cheese sauce, assemble it and pop it in the oven on the day. Obviously, this takes the same amount of time overall, but it does make the whole process seem more manageable.
If you do make the Bolognese in advance, warm it in the microwave for 5 minutes before assembling with the lasagne sheets and cheese sauce. Remember not to re-heat meat more than once, so only follow this method if the lasagne’s going to get eaten in one sitting.
Lasagne
Course: Main CourseCuisine: Italian8
servings20
minutes1
hour10
minutes1
hour30
minutesHearty comfort food at its best. You’ll need a big old lasagne or gratin dish for this one. Alternatively, divide it between two smaller dishes and cook for the same amount of time.
Ingredients (allergens in bold)
- Bolognese
2 onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 kg minced beef
2 tins chopped tomatoes
4 tbsp tomato purée
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
4 dried bay leaves
salt and pepper
handful of mushrooms, sliced (optional)
- Cheese Sauce
60 g salted butter
60 g plain flour
pinch of ground nutmeg added to flour
600 ml (1 pint) milk
salt and pepper
150 g Cheddar, grated + 50 g for topping
10-12 lasagne sheets, depending on size of dish
Directions for Bolognese
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan or casserole over a medium heat. Add the onions and garlic. Cook until softened, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon.
- Add the minced beef to the onions and garlic. Break the meat up with the spoon, and stir frequently. Cook until there is no pink meat left.
- Add the chopped tomatoes. ¼ fill each empty tin with water, and pour into the pot. Add the tomato purée, oregano, basil, bay leaves and mushrooms if using. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring to the boil, then lower the heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Directions for Cheese Sauce
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over a low heat. Add the flour and nutmeg, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. This creates a roux.
- Increase the heat to medium. Gradually add the milk to the roux, stirring after each addition until blended in.
- When all the milk has been added, allow to bubble for a few minutes until thick. Stir salt and pepper in to taste. Remember that cheese is salty, so don’t add lots of salt.
- Allow to cool for a couple of minutes before stirring in the grated cheese. Adding the cheese too soon will result in a grainy texture.
- Assembling the Lasagne
- Heat oven to 200ºC/Fan 180ºC/400ºF/Gas Mark 6.
- If using pre-made Bolognese, warm in microwave for 5 minutes.
- Spread half of the Bolognese across the bottom of a large lasagne or gratin dish.
- Place 5 or 6 lasagne sheets across the Bolognese, overlapping the edges. Snap one or two in half if it helps to fill the space.
- Spread half of the cheese sauce gently across the lasagne sheets.
- Spread the remaining Bolognese gently over the cheese sauce, taking care not to mix the layers together.
- Cover the Bolognese with lasagne sheets as before, followed by the rest of the cheese sauce.
- Sprinkle grated cheese over the top, and cook in the oven for 30 minutes until golden and bubbling.
- If serving with garlic bread, place this on a baking tray and bake on a separate shelf while the lasagne is cooking.
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