Lasagne al Forno #2
There are numerous variations of this delicious Italian dish with its layers of meat, pasta and cheese sauce.
Ingredients
- Olive oil for frying
- 1 large onion peeled and chopped
- 1 garlic clove crushed with 1/2 tsp spoon salt
- 2 celery stalks scrubbed and finely chopped
- 4 oz unsmoked streaky bacon rinds removed and chopped
- 1 lb minced beef
- 14 oz can tomatoes
- 1/4 pint beef stock
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tsp spoon sugar
- 2 tsp spoons freshly chopped oregano or 1 tsp spoon dried oregano
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 6 oz lasagne verde
- 2 oz Parmesan cheese grated, to finish
for the sauce:
- 1 oz butter
- 2 oz flour
- 1 pint hot milk
- Pinch of grated nutmeg
- Salt and freshly ground
- black pepper
- 8 oz carton cottage cheese sieved
Instructions
- Heat a spoon of oil in a large pan. Add the onion, garlic and celery and fry until golden. Add the chopped bacon and continue to fry until crisp.
- Add the minced beef to the pan and fry until browned, stirring constantly. Stir in the tomatoes, stock, tomato puree, sugar, oregano and black pepper to taste.
- Bring to the boil, stirring constantly, then lower the heat, half cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes or until the sauce is well reduced and thick.
- Meanwhile, cook the lasagne. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and stir in a spoonful of oil. Cook the pasta, a few sheets at a time, for 8 to 10 minutes or until 'al dente' (tender but firm to the bite).
- Drain and pat dry with a clean tea-towel or absorbent kitchen paper. Add more oil to the water for each batch of lasagne.
- To prepare the sauce, melt the butter in a pan. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and gradually add the milk, stirring vigorously.
- When all the milk is incorporated, return to the heat and bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Lower the heat, add the seasonings and simmer gently for a few minutes until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat, leave to cool slightly, then stir in the cottage cheese.
- Arrange the meat, pasta and prepared sauce in layers in a buttered shallow baking dish, starting with a layer of meat, then pasta, then sauce. Sprinkle the top layer of sauce with the Parmesan.
- Bake in a moderately hot oven (190°C/375°F or Gas Mark 5) for 30 minutes or until browned and bubbling. Serve straight from the baking dish.
Calories: 603 kcal
Carbohydrates: 42 g
Protein: 32 g
Fat: 34g
Saturated Fat: 15 g
Trans Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 97 mg
Sodium: 664 mg
Potassium: 754 mg
Fiber: 3 g
Sugar: 11 g
Vitamin A: 555 IU
Vitamin C: 8 mg
Calcium: 286 mg
Iron: 4 mg