LASAGNE FROM SCRATCH
- 6 sheets raw lasagne (recipe follows)
- bolognaise sauce (recipe follows)
- bèchamel sauce (recipe follows)
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup white Cheddar cheese
- Basic Pasta Dough
- 300 g flour
- 3 extra large eggs
In a large bowl, knead together by hand flour and eggs into a pliable dough.
Wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes (you can leave it in the fridge until you are ready to make the pasta.
Cut dough into 4 pieces, flour well and roll through the pasta machine to the required thickness (I like thin sheets, so I take my sheets all the way through from setting #7 to setting #1).
Hang the sheets over a drying rack for 15 min. The pasta is now ready to be cut into sheets of ± 10 – 15 cm sheets.
- Bolognaise Sauce
- 1 kg lean beef mince
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 celery sticks, chopped
- 1 large carrot, finely chopped or grated
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 8 quartered pitted Kalamata olives
- 50 g tomato paste
- 1 tin finely chopped Italian tomato
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- basil leaves, roughly chopped
- 6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 250 ml red wine
- 500 ml beef stock
- ground black pepper
- salt
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan, add celery, carrots, onion and garlic and cook until translucent.
Add mince and stir until mince is browned.
Add red wine vinegar and stir until absorbed.
Add red wine and let simmer until liquid has evaporated.
Add tomato paste, tin tomato, beef stock, olives, salt and pepper.
Simmer uncovered for 1 hour, stirring frequently.
Add basil leaves.
- Bèchamel Sauce – Makes 750 ml
- 500 ml milk
- 1 bay leave
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoon cake flour
- salt and black pepper
Heat the milk with bay leave to just below boiling point. Strain and set aside.
Melt butter in saucepan over low heat.
Add flour, remove from heat and stir vigorously. Return pan to heat, add ⅓ of the milk and mix well.
Add another ⅓ of the milk and mix well.
Add remainder of the milk and leave to simmer for 10 min to thicken, stir occasionally.
Season with salt and pepper.
Assemble Lasagne
Place a layer of bolognaise sauce in a deep ovenproof dish. Spread a layer of bèchamel sauce onto the meat.
Top with 2 layers of lasagna sheets.
Continue the layering until you’ve used all the meat and sauce.
Finish with grated Parmesan and white Cheddar.
Bake in 180°C pre-heated oven for 30 – 35 min.
Recipe and photo: Allie Ballie
