Easy Recipe for Lasagne

As promised the Easy Recipe for the best Lasagne.

This recipe is made-up of 3 parts, which you assemble in the end and bake in the oven.

It might sound overwhelming and difficult, but it is not it only take some time to prepare the 3 parts. I’m going to give the ingredients in the most logical order, so you can save time.

This recipe will make enough for 4-6 people.

Easy Lasagne

Meat Sauce  

2          Shallots, cleaned and chopped

1          clove of Garlic, finely chopped

1          Celery stick, cleaned and chopped

1          large Carrot, coarsely grated

200g    Beef Steak Mince

120g    Pork sausage, removed from the “skin”

Pinch   Cinnamon

1          Clove

600g    Tomatoes, chopped or 1½ tin chopped tomato

100ml  dry White Wine

1          Beef stock cube

            Salt & Pepper to taste

            Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1. Fry the Shallots in some Oil till glassy and see through.
2. Add the Garlic, Celery and Carrots; fry for a few minutes, to release the flavours.
3. Add the Beef Mince, fry using a fork to loosen the mince, this will ensure that the mince doesn’t make little balls.
4. Now add the Pork sausage, still using the fork to fry the mince, till it is loose.
5. Stir in the Chopped Tomato, Cinnamon, Clove and White Wine.
6. Stir well; add the Beef Stock Cube, Salt and Pepper. Be careful with the salt, as the Stock cube is also salty.
7. Turn down the heat and let it simmer for about an hour; stirring occasionally.
8. This sauce should not be too thick, so if it becomes more mince than sauce, add a little beef stock.

While the Mince sauce is simmering away we are going to prepare the 2 other parts of this recipe, first the Béchamel Sauce.

Béchamel Sauce

35ml    Butter

45ml    Flour

300ml  Milk, just warmed, I like to use skim milk, otherwise this dish is to rich

            Salt & Pepper to taste

1. Over medium heat, melt the Butter, but be careful not to let it sizzle.
2. When melted, remove from heat and add the Flour, stir until it is well mixed and forms a paste.
3. Add a little warm milk. With a whisk mix the paste and milk and add the salt and pepper.
4. Return to the medium heat and add the rest of the milk.
5. Using the whisk stir this milk mixture. Using the whisk to stir, will ensure you have a smooth béchamel sauce, stirring with a spoon…well then it sometimes might be lumpy.
6. When it stars to thicken stir more, when it forms a bubble (cooking), remove it from the heat.
7. It should be a medium thick sauce.

Now we have to prepare the last part before assembling the lasagne

9          Lasagne sheets, the ones I used is about 7.5 X 16 cm

            Boiling Water

4          Slices Mozzarella Cheese, cut in 1x1cm blocks (more ore less)

About 6 Tablespoons freshly grated Grana Padano or Parmesan Cheese

1. Heat the oven to 180°C.
2. Lay the Lasagne sheets in an oven dish, pour the Boiling Water over them, make sure the water goes under then as well. Leave them for about 15 minutes. This is just to let the Lasagne sheet swell and become movable, but not become soft. Take them out and leave then on a tea towel, ready for use.
3. Grease a 22x30cm oven dish.

The meat sauce should be ready by now.

Meat Sauce for Easy Lasagne

Assembling the Lasagne

1. We start with a very thin layer of the Meat Sauce at the bottom.

First Layer of Meat Sauce (no1)

First Layer of Lasagne Sheets on the Meat Sauce (no2)

  

2. Then add a Layer of the Lasagne Sheets.
3. Spread a thin layer of the Béchamel Sauce over the Lasagne sheet.
4. Sprinkle 2 Tablespoons of the grated Grana Padano / Parmesan cheese over the Béchamel sauce.
5. Add a layer of the Meat sauce over the cheese.
6. Repeat steps 2 to 5 twice.
7. You should end up with 3 layers.
8. If the sheets are too big for your dish you can cut them.
9. There might be some pieces of the lasagne sheets left. I cut them in small pieces and sprinkle then over the top.
10. For the final layer. Sprinkle the last 2 Tablespoons of Grana Padano / Parmesan cheese over. And lastly sprinkle the Mozzarella pieces over.
11. Bake in the oven, at 180°C for 30 minutes.
12. Let it rest in the oven, with the oven door ajar, for 20 – 30 minutes.
13. If it is to cold to you liking, just heat it a bit.

A slice of the Easy Lasagne

Tips 

1. You could make the lasagne in the morning and only bake it in the evening before your guests arrive. It can even be made the day before and bake when needed.
2. It is great with a mixed green salad.
3. This dish is also good for freezing. Once you have finished with the last layer, let it cool completely, cover the dish with "cling film", and put it in the freezer. It can be kept in the freezer for a month. When you need it. Take it out the day before and let it thaw in the fridge. Then bake as normal.
4. I always make one extra and freeze it.
5. If you have some of the meat sauce left, which you shouldn't, you can also freeze that for a next time.
6. You can make a double batch of the meat sauce, and freeze the extras in portions. It is delicious with pasta.

Enjoy.