Lasagne (w/ Ragu recipe)
I recently made a lasagne for a little get together with Candice, Pei Hua and Mindy. It was really delicious and i've learnt that what's most important is that you take the time to really cook the ragu.
Ingredients
Dried Lasagne Sheets - see note below
Ragu
5 rashers of bacon
500g minced beef
(optional: 2 leftover pork sausages)
2 carrots
1 onion
4 cloves of garlic
2 heaped tbsp of tomato puree
2 x 400g cans of plum tomatoes
2 x 400g cans of water (use the tomato cans!)
250ml red wine
Italian Herbs
Salt
Pepper
White Sauce
1 litre milk
150g cheddar cheese (i didn't want it too cheesy, so fill free to use more)
2 medium leeks, finely sliced
50g butter
50g flour
Salt
Pepper
Directions
Ragu
In a saucepan, fry the bacon. Remove any excess grease.
Soften the onion and carrots first before adding in the garlic. Without letting the garlic turn too brown, add in the minced beef and keep frying till the meat starts browning.
Add in the canned tomatoes, water, red wine, tomato puree and a good amount of dried herbs.
*IMPT: Simmer for at least 2.5 hours - 3 hours in order for the flavours to develop.
White Sauce
In a saute pan or saucepan, fry the leeks in some olive oil. I like to fry till it's a little caramelized.
Add the butter in, then the flour. Stir around to combine and to cook out the rawness of the flour.
Add in the milk and keep whisking to prevent lumps!
When it's all smooth, add in the cheese and season well.
Putting it all together
Meat sauce first, then a lasagne sheet, then a thick layer of white sauce - make sure its a thick layer, i did a thin to medium layer and it disappeared after cooking - then lasagne sheet and repeat.
*I highly recommend this brand of lasagne sheets - Delverde N. 109 Ondine - it's egg pasta with ridges. Really hearty and delicious! Usually the ragu takes the centre stage, but this pasta really held its own and my friends commented on how nice the pasta was.
Cover the top with a nice layer of cheese.
Into the oven it goes - 200°C for 20 mins covered and last 10 mins, uncovered.
YUM!
<3 BFFs.
Recipe adapted from: http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pork-recipes/good-old-lasagne/#ewXO2ErXLC2X3xX8.97 & http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pasta-recipes/jamie-s-classic-family-lasagne/