Versatile lasagne
Preparation Time: 8 - 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 - 40 minutes
Serves: Serves 4 - 6
A meal to be enjoyed by the family.
Ingredients
1 quantity (about 500 g) lasagne sheets
30ml olive oil
500g lean beef mince
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
410g can chopped, peeled tomatoes
30ml (1 sachet) tomato paste
5ml sugar
15ml chopped fresh mixed herbs or 5 ml dried, plus extra for sprinkling
1ml Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Cheese Sauce
60g butter or margarine
60ml milk
375ml (150 g) grated cheddar cheese
1ml Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
60ml (35 g) Snowflake cake flour
Method
- Bring a large, heavy-based sauce pan of salted water to the boil. Add pasta and cook for 3 - 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Heat oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan and fry mince until it changes colour. Add onions and garlic and saute for a few minutes until soft.
- Add tomatoes, paste, sugar, herbs and seasoning. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Sauce: Melt butter in a medium heavy-based saucepan. Add flour and stir over low heat for 1 minute. Add milk and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until sauce is smooth and has thickened. Remove from heat and add cheese and seasoning. Leave to cool slightly.
- Spoon a little mince mixture into a large ovenproof dish. Layer with half the pasta sheets, mince mixture and cheese sauce. Repeat layers, ending with cheese sauce.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for 30 - 40 minutes. Sprinkle with herbs and serve.
- Vegetarian lasagne. Substitute mine with 250 g chopped fresh spinach and 125 g sliced button mushrooms, or 250 g butternut, pumpkin, broccoli or baby marrows, cut into cubes and fried lightly with onions.
