Lasagna

The recipe strays away from the authentic one but it still becomes the talk of the town whenever I serve guests or even family members with it. There’s a delicate balance I try to maintain between mince, sauce and cheeses so each layer can be tasted individually, yet bringing an explosion of flavors within a bite having everything in it. Isn’t that what lasagna is really about? 😉

INGREDIENTS

• Mince (Chicken/beef) 450g
• Onion (Chopped) 1 medium big sized
• Lasagna noodles as much as you think would fit into 4 layers of your dish. I used a half of a 500g box. Also, my noodles did not need pre boiling before baking.
• Tomatoes 2 big sized, 1 medium/small sized (Chopped)
• Cheddar Cheese (shredded) 2.5 cups
• Mozzarella Cheese (Shredded) 1 cup
• Capsicum 1 big sized (diced)
• Tomato paste 2tbsps
• Ketchup 3tbsps
• Chicken stock cubes 2 (1pkt)
• Salt, red chili powder to taste
• Red chili flakes 1tsp
• Black pepper powder 1tsp
• Garlic 1 whole bulb (chopped finely)
• Paprika powder 1tsp
• Brown Sugar 2tsp
• Oregano 1/2tsp
• Basil leaves crushed 1/2tsp
• Olive oil 3 tbsps.

For White sauce (click for ‘That Perfect White Sauce‘ recipe tutorial or follow the recipe below)

• Butter (unsalted) 50g
• AP flour 2.5 tbsps.
• Milk 750ml or as much as you want
• Garlic powder 1/2tsp
• Salt a big pinch
• Black pepper powder a big pinch
• Paprika powder a big pinch

METHOD

Mince

• Heat oil in a pan, add chopped onions and sauté till translucent.
• Add chopped garlic and sauté more for 10 seconds before adding chopped tomatoes, Salt, stock cubes and all the spices.
• Add mince and cook till color changes. Don’t cook tomatoes for too long. The mince should be chunky.
• Add Tomato paste and Capsicum.
• Add 1 cup of water, cover and cook on high flame till water dries.
• Add Ketchup and brown sugar and mix well.
• Add herbs, mix and take off the stove.

White sauce

• Melt butter in a pan.
• Add flour and mix well quickly till creamy and golden.
• Add milk slowly and gradually and keep whisking so it doesn’t form lumps.
• Once the correct consistency is attained, add herbs and spices. Quickly stir and take off the stove.

Layering

• Grease the bottom of the dish with white sauce.
• Layer noodles till the base is covered.
• Layer mince.
• Layer cheddar cheese.
• Layer White sauce.
• Repeat 4 times or as many layers as you want but the last 3 layers should be noodles, white sauce & both the cheeses at the top.
• Sprinkle basil and oregano leaves.

Baking

• Bake (Covered with foil) in a preheated oven for 25 minutes at 200°C (400°F)
• Take off the foil and grill from the top for 10 minutes or until golden.
• Let it set for 10 minutes before serving