Viva Lasange!
Posted: 26 July '09 by Niall
Lasange al Forno
One of our favourite meals is Lasange. While it does take a little time to prepare, it’s well worth the wait – with the added benefit that the left-overs taste even better the next day!
You can view the slideshow hereImage 1Image 2Image 3Image4Image 5
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, peeled and minced
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 pinches of dried oregano
- 2 pinches of dried basil
- 300g minced beef
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tbsp red wine
- 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 6 sheets of lasange sheets
For the sauce
- 25g butter
- 25g flour
- 300ml milk
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- 60g Cheddar cheese, grated
- 30g Parmesan cheese, grated
To finish:
- 60g Cheddar cheese, grated
- 10g Parmesan cheese, grated
Cooking Method
Cooking Method – Meat Sauce:
- Pre-heat the oven to 225°C.
- Heat the olive oil in a hot pan and sweat the garlic and onion down until they are translucent.
- Add the mince and fully brown.
- Add the basil, oregano, and black pepper and stir thoroughly.
- Add the wine and cook off the alcohol.
- Add the tomatoes and bay leaf, stirring well before leaving to simmer for a further 2-3 minutes.
- Finally add the worcestershire sauce, tomato puree, and milk before turning off the heat and setting the saucepan aside.
Cooking Method – Bechamel:
- In one saucepan. add the butter and place over a low heat.
- In a second saucepan, add the milk and nutmeg, warming the milk until it is just shy of boiling point.
- Reducing the heat completely When the butter has melted, add the flour and mix together, until you have a thick paste (similar to play-doh).
- Add a third of the milk to the play-doh, whisking to prevent any lumps forming – then add the rest of the milk a third at a time, whisking as you go. You want to get a smooth sauce.
- Allow the sauce to cook out for another minute before adding the Cheddar cheese. Stir and remove from the heat.
Cooking Method – Assembling the lasange:
- Spoon half of the meat sauce into the bottom of the casserole dish and place pasta sheets on top (break the sheets if necessary to avoid any overlapping).
- Spoon the rest of the meat onto this level, and add the remaining lasange sheets.
- Pour over the bechamel, making sure that you cover the layer below.
- Sprinkle the remaining grated cheese and parmesan over the bechamel.
- Place the lasange in the oven to bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown.
We hope you enjoy – buon appetito!
Tags: italian food, lasange al forno, Recipes
Categories: Beef > Featured Post > Italian Food > Pasta > Recipes
