Home-made lasagne!

Home-made lasagne!

First prepare the tomato sauce:  sauté one finely chopped onion, two cloves garlic, and add some mixed spice (1 tbs); add six large fresh tomatoes, 3 tbs tomato puree, 1 glass wine, 1 stock cube;  simmer till thick.

Meat filling:  Fry a chopped onion, 2 cloves garlic with 500g mixed beef and pork mince, 250g chopped lean back bacon, 1 tsp mixed spice, 1 tbs freshly grated nutmeg;  variations:  add one cubed and peeled aubergine to the meat mixture or alternatively add some fresh spinach and cook till just wilted.

Beschamel sauce:  Melt 2 tbs of butter in pan;  add 4 tbs flour and mix to a roux;  remove from heat;  add 750ml skimmed milk, 1 veg. stock cube, 1 tbs grated nutmeg, 1 bay leaf and keep stirring on a low heat till it thickens.  For cheese sauce, just add some grated cheese (cheddar works best, but parmesan/provolone is also good).

Assembling the lasagne:

Lighty grease an oblong dish;  add some tomato sauce at the bottom;  put the first layer of lasagne sheets (either dry or semi-dry like the ones bought at lidl);  top with the meat mixture, some more tomato sauce, and drizzle with beschamel;  add some grated cheddar cheese;  continue with the layers finishing with a pasta layer;  add some tomato sauce (but no meat mixture), top with a lot of beschamel, grated cheese, parmesan cheese, crushed pepper;  soak the whole lot with about 500ml skimmed milk.  Cover with foil and bake in a preheated oven (200 fan, lowered to 175) for about 40 mins.;  uncover and bake for a further 15 minutes till top is nice and golden.  Best not serve straight away but leave to settle for around 40 mins.