The ultimate makeover: Lasagne

Name: The ultimate makeover: Lasagne
Prep time: 2 h 30 min
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Italian, European
Ingredients: 1 Tbsp olive oil; 1 onion, chopped; 2 mediums carrots, diced; 3 plump garlic cloves, finely chopped; 250 grams lean rump steak, trimmed of fat, thinly sliced, then very finely chopped; 250 grams lean minced pork; 100 milliliters red wine; 2 Tbsps tomato purée; 400 grams plum tomato; 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, plus a pinch; 1 handful basil leaves, torn; 300 grams fresh spinach; 1 egg; 250 grams ricotta; 1 handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped; 6 wide sheets (about 175g 6oz) no pre-cook lasagne; 125 grams mozzarella, preferably buffalo, roughly chopped; 50 grams parmesan, coarsely grated; 200 grams cherry tomato on the vine; 1 leave basil and green salad leaves, to serve

The ultimate makeover: Lasagne is a Mediterranean main course. One portion of this dish contains around 35g of protein, 31g of fat, and a total of 565 calories. This recipe covers 36% of your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. This recipe serves 6. Head to the store and pick up plump garlic cloves, egg, cherry tomato on the vine, and a few other things to make it today. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes. If you like this recipe, you might also like recipes such as The ultimate makeover: Moussaka, The ultimate makeover: Burgers, and The ultimate makeover: Tiramisu.

Instructions

Make the meat sauce: heat oil in a large saut pan, then tip in onion and fry for 5 mins until golden.

Ingredients you will need

Onion

Sauce

Meat

Cooking Oil

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Add carrots and garlic, then fry for 2 mins more. Stir in both meats, breaking up the pork with a wooden spoon. Cook over a high heat until the meat is no longer pink and the juices are released.

Ingredients you will need

Carrot

Garlic

Meat

Pork

Equipment you will use

Wooden Spoon

Pour in wine, scrape the bottom of the pan as you stir, then cook for 1-2 mins until the liquid is reduced. Tip in tomato pure, tomatoes and 2 tbsp water, then stir to break up tomatoes.

Ingredients you will need

Tomato

Water

Wine

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Add tsp nutmeg and some pepper, cover, then simmer for 1 hr, stirring occasionally. Taste and add salt if you like.

Ingredients you will need

Nutmeg

Pepper

Salt

Mix in torn basil. Sauce can be chilled for up to 1 day.

Ingredients you will need

Basil

Sauce

While the sauce is simmering, prepare the other layers. Tip the spinach into a large bowl and pour over boiling water. After 30 secs, tip spinach into a colander and put under cold running water briefly to cool. Squeeze to remove excess water. Beat the egg in a bowl, then mix with ricotta, parsley, a pinch of nutmeg and pepper. Soak the lasagne sheets in a single layer in boiling water for 5 mins. (Although the packet says no pre-cook, I find soaking improves the texture.)

Ingredients you will need

Lasagne Noodles

Parsley

Ricotta Cheese

Spinach

Nutmeg

Pepper

Sauce

Water

Egg

Equipment you will use

Colander

Bowl

Drain well.

Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas

Equipment you will use

Oven

Start layering.

Spread a few big spoonfuls of sauce to barely cover the base of an ovenproof dish (20 x 29 x 6cm deep). Cover with 2 sheets of lasagne, then spread over half the remaining sauce. Cover with 2 more lasagne sheets, then scatter spinach evenly over.

Ingredients you will need

Lasagne Noodles

Spinach

Base

Spread the ricotta mixture on top and cover with 2 more lasagne sheets.

Ingredients you will need

Lasagne Noodles

Ricotta Cheese

Spread

Spread with remaining sauce, then scatter over mozzarella and Parmesan to almost cover meat. Top with cherry tomatoes and some pepper, then cover loosely with foil.

Ingredients you will need

Cherry Tomato

Mozzarella

Parmesan

Pepper

Sauce

Meat

Equipment you will use

Aluminum Foil

Bake for 35 mins, then remove foil and bake 5-10 mins more. Leave for a few mins, then scatter with basil and serve with salad.

Ingredients you will need

Basil

Equipment you will use

Oven

Aluminum Foil

Equipment

Recommended wine: Chianti, Montepulciano, Sangiovese

Chianti, Montepulciano, and Sangiovese are great choices for Lasagne. Lasagna pairs well with medium-bodied red wine with higher acidity. Sangiovese, Montepulciano, and Chianti all fit the bill. You could try Casaloste Chianti Classico Riserva. Reviewers quite like it with a 4.4 out of 5 star rating and a price of about 28 dollars per bottle.