Lasagne
This is my tried and tested lasagne recipe. I try to cook up a big batch so there are leftovers for the next couple of days.
Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Cooking Time: 80 minutes
What you need
2 tsp olive oil (or olive oil cooking spray)
1 brown onion, halved, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed (or a tablespoon of minced garlic)
750g lean beef mince
2 x 400g cans Italian diced tomatoes (Or 4 chopped whole tomatoes)
55g (1/4 cup) tomato paste
Salt & pepper
Olive oil, extra, to grease
4 fresh lasagne sheets (preferably wholemeal)
55g (1/2 cup) coarsely grated mozzarella
Mixed salad leaves, to serve
Cheese Sauce
750 mls (3 cups) milk (light/fat reduced)
1 brown onion, halved, coarsely chopped
8 fresh parsley stalks
60g butter
50g (1/3 cup) plain flour
70g (1 cup) finely grated parmesan
Pinch ground nutmeg
Salt & Pepper to season
Directions
Heat oil over medium heat and fry onion and garlic until soft.
Add mince and cook, breaking up lumps with a wooden spoon until mince becomes a little brown.
Add tomato and tomato paste and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low then simmer for about 25 minutes until the sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper.
To make cheese sauce, combine milk, onion, parsley and pepper in a pan and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. Strain mixture through a sieve into a large jug.
Melt butter in a pan, add flour and cook until bubbling. Remove from heat.
Slowly pour in half the milk, whisk until smooth. Gradually add the rest of the milk until combined in full.
Bring saucepan to the boil for 5 minutes until sauce thickens. Add in parmesan. Season with salt and pepper and the secret ingredient nutmeg.
Arrange lasagne sheets in a lasagne dish, layering between sauce, mince and pasta sheet. Finish the top layer with lots of mozzarella to make it extra cheesy.
Bake for about 40 minutes at 180°C until cheese melts and everything’s golden brown.
Set aside to rest for a little while and serve with a big salad full of leafy greens.
