Lasagna

[Aliantha]

When I make lasagne I always use pork mince for flavour.

The first thing I do is chop up a whole head of garlic along with a couple of onions, some fresh basil and any other herbs that might be ready in the garden (parsley, thyme, rosemary, oregano etc). Fry those till they're caramelised then add a chopped eggplant (aubergine) and some chopped capsicum (red pepper?). After that's all nice and soft, then add either a couple of cans of chopped tomatoes, or chop about half a kilo of them and add them to the mix. Bring it to the boil and add the mince (500gm - 1 pound).

Simmer that till it's nice and thick.

While that's happening, make a beschemell sauce.

A couple of table spoons of butter melted, then add equal amounts of plain flour till a paste forms. Pour in about 500mls of cream and stir till thick while adding grated parmesan and sharp cheddar cheese (to taste).

You're ready to make your lasagne now.

Put a layer of sauce on the bottom followed by sheets of lasagne.

Another layer of sauce, topped with beschemell sauce.

lasagne sheets

layer of riccotta with fresh baby spinach on top of the riccotta.

lasagne sheets

sauce, beschemell sauce

lasagne sheets

At this point, it depends on how high you want your lasagne, but I usually just follow with more mince sauce and beschemell otherwise you can do another layer of riccotta etc if you like.

lasagne sheets.

beschemell sauce, grated cheese.

In the oven for about 30 mins till cheese on top is melted and just starting to go brown.

Trust me, it'll be the best lasagne you've ever had.

[Urbane Guerrilla]

Not cooking the lasagne first, but putting them dry into the baking pan between the moist layers, produces a firmer, not sloppy at all lasagna. This slices neatly.

Rather than a bechamel (interesting!) I use a container of ricotta cheese, creamed together with one or two eggs and some tarragon.

Chile-heads know well that a capsicum pepper is a chile pepper -- no prob.