Posted in October 2007

Lasagna

Source: yummy, yummy
Monday 1st October 2007, 11:55am

My favourite dish in the whole world! This is a variation on an authentic Lombardy Lasagna recipe, without the hassle of a Béchamel sauce. With locally available ingredients you can give this Lasagna a Kentish flavour.

Lasagna recipe preparation time: 15 - 20 minutes
Lasagna recipe cooking time: 1 hour

This is a variation on an authentic Lombardy Lasagna recipe, without the hassle of a Béchamel sauce. With locally available ingredients you can give this Lasagna a Kentish flavour. For example, why not try some locally reared lamb? You can always use dried sheets of Lasagna, but it’s best to use fresh, with pasta dishes the quality of the pasta really does make a difference. I have chosen to use minced lamb for the ragu (sauce), but you could easily use pork or beef. Don’t forget you will need a large oven-proof dish. It takes around fifteen minutes to prepare the ingredients and an hour to cook. Why not try serving the Lasagna with a rocket and red onion salad. For a vegetarian Lasagna you just use a meat substitute like Quorn mince or a tomato and red pepper salsa.

Lasagna recipe ingredients: Serves 4

400 grams of finely minced lamb
150 grams of mozzarella cheese
3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
Approximately ten sheets of Lasagna (let the size of the dish be your guide)
1 small carrot chopped
5 rashers of bacon cut into small pieces
1 onion chopped
2 table spoons olive oil
Salt and black pepper (a teaspoon full of each)
500ml of tomato puree (never from the tube)
A small quantity of oregano (fresh is best but dried is ok)

Lasagna recipe cooking instructions:

1. Peel and finely chop the onions and carrot then crush the garlic.

2. Add the olive oil to a low heated pan with the onion and carrot allow them to sweat in the pan for just for a few minutes.

3. Add the crushed garlic about thirty seconds before adding the bacon, stir evenly for a minute before adding the lamb mince and then brown off the meat.

4. Once the meat is brown add the tomato puree, stir evenly add the salt and black pepper. Leave to simmer for around 20 minutes stirring occasionally.

5. Cook the pasta in boiling water until 'al dente', drain and lay the lasagna sheets out individually on a clean tea towel.

6. Add the oregano to the ragu and stir.

7. Add a thin layer of ragu to the bottom of the oven proof dish, then a layer of the grated or sliced mozzarella, then a layer of Lasagna. Continue this layering 2 or three times, bearing in mind the top layer must always be cheese, or ragu, not the pasta.

8. Cover the dish with silver foil, place in a pre-heated oven on a middle shelf at 180°C, for around 30 minutes, then remove the silver foil and leave in the oven for a further 5 minutes.

9. Cut into slices and then serve.

By Martha

Permalink