Spicy lasagne – Italy

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Spicy lasagne

Spicy lasagne
 
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Nutrition Information
  • Serving size: 100g
  • Fat: 8.5 grams
  • Saturated fat: 4.4 grams
  • Carbohydrates: 10 grams
  • Sugar: 2.5 grams
  • Sodium: 0.73 grams
  • Fiber: 1 gram
  • Protein: 7.9 grams
Recipe type: Pasta with chillies
Cuisine: Italian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Lasagne is comfort food of the highest order. This baked pasta dish with chillies has a lovely browned crust when it comes out the oven. When served, it oozes a great tasting cheesy white sauce over wonderfully browned mince meat with fantastic flavour. This dish is one that your friends and family will beg you to make over and over again
Ingredients
For the lasagne
  • Lasagne pasta sheets – approx. 300 grams
  • Chilli flakes – one teaspoon
  • Parmesan cheese – two tablespoons
For the meat sauce
  • Minced beef – 500 grams
  • Bacon lardons – 250 grams
  • Tinned plum tomatoes – 2 tins
  • Onions 2 medium (diced)
  • Garlic – 2 cloves (, finely chopped)
  • Beef stock – one cup
  • Red wine- one small glass
  • Bay leaves 3 to 4
  • Fresh oregano - one tablespoon ( see note)
  • Fresh red chillies- 2 to 3) (finely chopped)
  • Salt – ½ teaspoon
  • Pepper one teaspoon
  • Ground nutmeg – ¼ teaspoon
For the white sauce
  • Full fat milk – 750ml (3 cups)
  • Leeks – 2 large (finely chopped)
  • Black peppercorns – ½ teaspoon
  • Whole cloves – 4
  • Butter – 75 grams
  • Plain flour – 50 grams
  • Mozzarella cheese (shredded) - one cup
  • Cheddar cheese – 50 grams
Instructions
For the meat sauce
  1. Fry the lardons in a skillet with the olive oil until the fat has rendered.
  2. Add the onions and fry until translucent.
  3. Add the bay leaves, oregano and garlic.
  4. Fry for a couple of minutes
  5. Add the mince, salt and pepper and cook until all pinkness has disappeared and is beginning to brown.
  6. Sprinkle with nutmeg and tomato paste
  7. Stir in
  8. Add the tomatoes and stock.
  9. Allow to simmer for about an hour.
  10. Add the lardons and stir
For the white sauce
  1. Heat the butter in a pot
  2. Add the bay leaf and cloves. Stir for 30 seconds
  3. Add the leeks and fry for two to three minutes, stirring continuously
  4. Add the flour. Stir and combine with flour. Allow to become a slightly light brown nutty colour
  5. Add the milk. The sauce will begin thickening. Add the peppercorns
  6. Using a blender, blend the sauce until smooth (whilst still in the pan)
  7. Now add the mozzarella and cheddar.
  8. Stir until the cheese has melted and the sauce is entirely thick
To assemble
  1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius ( conventional)
  2. Using a ladle, scoop a layer of the meat sauce into an oven to table dish
  3. Next, cover the meat sauce with lasagne sheets.
  4. Now scoop a layer of the white sauce over the sheets.
  5. Continue creating layers in this fashion, ending with a layer of white sauce
  6. Sprinkle parmesan cheese and chilli flakes over the top layer.
  7. Place in preheated oven and bake for 40 to 50 minutes until browned.
  8. Remove and serve
Notes
This recipe yields 6 -8 portions ff about 400 to 500 grams

Keyword: Spicy lasagne with chillies

If using dried oregano, add only after meat has browned and reduce quantity to a teaspoon (step 5)

Image credit Szymon Stasik / CC BY SA 2.0/ via Flickr