Serves 4
An authentic Italian Beef Lasagne recipe that’s quick and easy, a real hit with the kids, and will have you looking like a rockstar in the kitchen. The real secret to this dish is using Premium quality beef mince and traditional Polpa tomatoes. (available in most NZ supermarkets).
Ingredients
- 500g Premium beef mince
- 7 sheets of lasagne sheets (ready to use)
- 600g Polpa tomatoes
- 1 small onion, diced small
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced or chopped
- ¼ cup (60 ml) dry red wine / vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
- ¼ tsp dried thyme
- ¼ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp maple syrup / brown sugar
- 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley leaf
- ⅓ tsp sea salt
- Good pinch of coarsely ground black pepper
- 2 cups (200g) grated mozzarella cheese
Bechamel Sauce
- 1 L whole milk
- ¾ cup (90g) all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp (2g) ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Prepare the meat sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium/high heat. Add the diced onion and beef mince. Cook for 4 minutes making sure that the meat does not clump, but browns evenly and the onions become soft and translucent.
- Strain off any liquid in the pan and return to the heat. Add the garlic to the meat and onions, sauté for one minute.
- Add the red wine and cook for two minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, salt, pepper, maple syrup and chopped parsley. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and keep warm till ready to build your lasagne.
- Prepare the bechamel: Place all the sauce ingredients in a deep saucepan. With a whisk, constantly stir the sauce over low heat, cooking until the bechamel has thickened and is smooth.
- Remove from heat. Pass the sauce through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl. Reserve and keep warm.
- Build your Lasagne: Preheat an oven to 180° C. Prepare the lasagne sheets al dente, according to the package directions.
- Prepare the Lasagne: Lightly grease a 9 x 13 cm baking dish with olive oil. Line the bottom with a single layer of cooked lasagne sheets.
- Spread ½ a cup of the meat sauce evenly over the sheets of lasagne. Cover with a single layer of lasagne sheets.
- Spread ½ a cup of meat sauce evenly on top. Sprinkle with grated mozzarella and top with half of the reserved bechamel, spreading evenly.
- Repeat this process using all the lasagne sheets and meat filling, end by topping the lasagne with the remaining half of the bechamel and mozzarella.
- Cover in tinfoil. To avoid sticking use toothpicks to keep the foil from touching the top of the Lasagne. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.
- Remove the foil from the lasagne and bake for an additional 3-5 minutes, or until the top is bubbling and golden brown.
- Cut to your required serving size and plate up.
- Pair with a nice New Zealand red wine, and a mixed green garden salad, or winter vegetables.
