Lasagne

Introduction: It's an old favourite in many places and settings so I wanted to have a go at it!


The Dish:

Ingredients: 

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 250g minced beef
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 125g mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon, salt
• 6 grinds pepper
• 1/2 cup beef stock
• 200g lasagne sheets prepared al dente
• 1/4 cup grated mozzarella and a little Parmesan cheese
• bechamel style sauce:
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 grinds of pepper
• 3 tablespoons of grated mozzarella and Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder

Method:

• Make up sauce and set aside:
• Melt butter in small saucepan and remove from heat
• Add flour. Stir with a wooden spoon.
• Cook slowly for 1 minute, stirring continuously. Remove from heat.
• Add the milk and stir until smooth
• Return to heat and stir until boiling . Reduce heat and add cheese, mustard, salt and pepper.
• Set oven temperature at 180 degrees Celsius
• Heat oil in medium saucepan and fry onion and garlic
• Add minced steak, tomatoes, mushrooms , tomato space, salt, pepper and stock. Simmer 10 minutes.
• Using a greased, rectangular ovenproof dish, place a thin layer of meat sauce, then a layer of lasagne sheet. Repeat these layers. The top layer should be lasagne. Cover the top layer with the sauce. Sprinkle with the cheese.
• Bake at 180 degrees for 30 minutes until cheese is melted and golden brown. 

New Methods Learnt: 

• Working with sheet pasta
• Making a sauce base with flour (a 'roux')

Result: The whole family loved my attempt at this classic Italian dish.