So now you’ve made my bolognese sauce, but your favourite meal is actually a lasagna al forno? But you don’t really know how to do it? No problem—I even have two versions for you!
A classic variation with béchamel sauce and the other is a quick version that is simply baked with mozzarella.
For the quick version, you only need mozzarella and don’t have to make a béchamel sauce. Isn’t that great? But if you have time, be sure to make the béchamel sauce for your lasagne. It will taste like from the Italian around the corner. 🙂
And for the cheese lovers among you, just put some extra cheese between the layers… Mmmhhh… And if you have some extra cheese, you can also add some cheese to the béchamel. That always gives a little more flavour. It works really well with Parmesan cheese.
How can the Lasagne hold together?
But do you know that when it doesn’t hold up, i.e. collapses? Just let it sit for a bit after it comes out of the oven, it helps! I know it’s not easy as it’s really tasty, but it helps. Just leave it in the dish for 5-10 minutes, and it won’t run right away on your plate.
Both versions are easy to make with my step-by-step instructions, but of course, if you haven’t prepared the Bolognese sauce ahead of time, it’s going to be a bit more time-consuming. And if you have some Bolognese left over, you can always make Rigatoni al Forno again.
That’s the great thing about food for days – you make the main ingredient once, and then you can prepare different variations of it. Take a look around—you’re sure to find something delicious!
My wine recommendation:
A classic Italian red wine like an Amarone would go really well your Lasagne.
But make sure to serve a simple side salad with it!
love
sabrina x
Lasagne
Classic Italian cuisine
moderate-
Prep time: 30 minutes -
Cook time: 30 minutes -
Baking time: 30 minutes -
Total time: 1 hours 30 minutes
Ingredients
| Sauce Béchamel | |
|---|---|
| 40 g | butter |
| 40 g | flour |
| 500 ml | milk |
| salt and ground pepper | |
| 2 | pinches of nutmeg |
| 0.5 | tsp lemon juice |
| Sauce Bolognese | |
| 2 cans chopped tomatoes | |
| 150 g | celeriac or 1 celeriac stalks |
| 1 | onion |
| 1 | medium carrots |
| 1 | clove garlic |
| 500 g | minced meat, I use beef |
| 2 | Tbsp tomato paste |
| 75 ml | red wine |
| Olive Oil | |
| Spices: | |
| 1 tsp salt pepper, sugar, oregano | |
| Pasta | |
| 250 g | Lasagne sheets |
Steps of preparation
Sauce Bolognese
- Cut all vegetables to small cubes- I use a food processor to do it to smuggle my veggies in it
- Add a bit of olive oil to your pot and bring the pot to a high heat.
- Add half of the minced meat and cook, stirring, until the meat is browned and crumbly. When it is cooked through, place it in a bowl to while you repeat it with the other half of minced meat and add to the other meat.
- Place the onions and garlic to fry as well in the pot. Add the chopped celeriac and carrot and sauté them until everything has a nice colour. Add the cooked minced meat to the pot.
- Add the tomato paste and stir
- After around a minute, add half of the red wine and let it reduce. Wait a bit and add the rest of the wine.
- Add the cans of chopped tomatoes. Do not throw them away, but instead add water in one of the cans, then swirl it, and pour the “tomatowater” gently in the other cans one by one to get all tomatoes out.
- Add salt and pepper to taste and a pinch of sugar.
- Let it simmer for 30 minutes and if you have time, then let it stand for another 2 hours on a very low heat.
- At the end of your cooking time, add the Oregano.
- Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
Sauce Béchamel
- Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
- Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste cooks and bubbles a bit, but don’t let it brown.
- Add 1/3 of the milk gradually, continuing to stir as the sauce thickens.
- Add another third of the milk and keep stirring. Keep on stirring.
- Add the last third of the milk and bring it to a boil.
- Season with salt, pepper, lemon juice and nutmeg.
Lasagne
- Get an ovenproof casserole dish and cover the base with the Béchamel sauce.
- You should need around 4 Tablespoons.
- Add a layer of pasta sheets.
- Add Bolognese sauce
- Add a layer of pasta sheets.
- Repeat with the Bolognese sauce, pasta sheets, until the casserole dish is nearly full.
- The top layer should be Sauce Bolognese.
- Cover the Lasagne evenly with the Béchamel sauce on top and bake it in the oven for about 25- 30 minutes.
- If you want to make the quick version, skip the Béchamel and add some sliced Mozzarella
- Enjoy with a side salad
Notes
I sometimes add a bit of cayenne pepper or piemente des epelettes.
