Description

Italian Lasagna

Description
Lasagna is a layered dish that is baked in the oven. Typical layers include lasagna pasta, a meat sauce (such as ragu or bolognese), bechamel sauce, and cheese. It’s a comforting dish and perfect for sharing at family gatherings or special dinners.

Ingredients

For a classic lasagna for 6-8 people, you will need:
– 12 lasagna pasta sheets
– 500 g ground beef (beef or a mix of beef and pork)
– 1 large onion, finely chopped
– 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
– 800 g crushed tomatoes (or tomato sauce)
– 2 tablespoons tomato paste
– 1 cup red wine (optional)
– 1 carrot, finely chopped
– 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
– 500 ml milk
– 50 g butter
– 50 g flour
– 100 g grated Parmesan cheese
– 200 g grated mozzarella cheese
– Extra virgin olive oil
– Salt and pepper to taste
– Italian herbs (basil, oregano) to taste

Preparation

1. Prepare the meat sauce:
– In a large frying pan, heat a Add a little olive oil and sauté the onion, garlic, carrot and celery until tender.
– Add the ground beef and cook until golden.
– Stir in the tomato paste and red wine, and cook until the wine has evaporated.
– Add the crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper and Italian herbs. Simmer for about 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Prepare the bechamel sauce:
– In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
– Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes.
– Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens.
– Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Assemble the lasagna:
– Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
– In a baking dish, place a thin layer of meat sauce on the bottom.
– Place a layer of lasagna sheets over the sauce.
– Add a layer of meat sauce, followed by a layer of bechamel sauce and a layer of mozzarella cheese.
– Repeat the layers until all ingredients have been used, finishing with a layer of bechamel sauce and grated parmesan cheese on top.

4. Bake:
– Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
– Remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until the top is golden and bubbly.

5. Rest and serve:
– Let the lasagna rest for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.