Recipe: Classic Lasagne

February 11, 2015 | Alison Clinch | Grass Fed Beef, Recipes | Leave a Comment

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Lasagne is one of those dishes that is a winner with everyone in our house, all year round. In Summer I serve it with a traditional garden salad, and in Winter with plenty of steamed greens (and sometimes garlic bread too!). Serves 4-6.

Ingredients

2 tbsps olive oil
1 onions, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
500g Grass Fed beef mince*
500ml homemade passata
2 tbsps tomato paste
1 tsp of dried chilli flakes# (more or less as desired)
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper
fresh lasagne sheets (enough to do 6 layers)
1 cup mozarella cheese, grated

Béchamel Sauce

100g butter
6 tablespoons flour
3 cups of milk
100g tasty cheese, grated
50g parmesan cheese, grated
Salt and pepper

Method

Bechamel Sauce

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and stir until it forms a smooth paste.
Gradually add the milk and stir with a whisk to avoid any lumps. Keep whisking occasionally until the sauce gently boils and is thickened.
Remove from the heat, stir in the cheeses and add a generous amount of salt and pepper.

Bolognese Sauce

Heat a deep frying pan or saucepan over high heat and then add the oil, garlic and onion. Cook for 3 minutes or until just soft.
Add the mince and cook, stirring, until brown.
Next add the tomato passata, tomato paste and chilli flakes and simmer for 15 minutes, or until thickened to your liking.
Stir through the parsley and salt and pepper.

Assembly

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees.
Spread a small amount of bolognese sauce over the bottom of your serving dish – this will prevent your bottom pasta sheet from sticking and make it easier to serve.
Next cover the sauce with some of the lasagne sheets. Spread over one third of the bolognese sauce, cover with more lasagne sheets, then spoon over one third of the bechamel sauce.
Repeat the layers (sheets, bolognese, sheets, bechamel, sheets, bolognese, sheets) and finish with bechamel sauce.
Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese and bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until golden brown on top.

* For something different you can use 500g beef mince or 500g pork mince. # I add at least 1 tbsp of chilli flakes to my bolognese sauce and the kids eat it without any hesitation.

Tips

I always make my béchamel sauce first so that it has plenty of time to cool down. If it goes on the lasagne sheets when hot it tends to run in-between the layers and you don’t get the sensation of the different flavour layer.

About Alison Clinch

Alison Clinch has 20 years marketing experience gained in small and medium size business. She is especially passionate about supporting local communities, communications, and brand management. In her role with The Free Range Butcher Alison is responsible for the company’s branding, promotion, advertising and website. Her experience in the kitchen and passion for good food also brings refreshing new ideas for our recipe suggestions. Initially working alongside her husband Ben at the farmers markets, Alison is more ‘behind the scenes’ now, and keeping busy with two young apprentices’ / kids, Tom and Georgia.