I always get nervous sharing recipes of something that is a my take on a true classic, for instance my Blender Béarnaise is probably blasphemy to many, which is why I make it clear that I am not attempting perfection, just giving you my take on it (which probably includes shortcuts). That is why I call this “One Man’s Interpretation of Lasagne”, It’s not meant to be an accurate attempt at an age old recipe, it’s just my attempt, although there is a story that goes with it, so here goes…
Just after the turn of the century (now I’m feeling old), I had sold my first house and was living/flatting/ freeloading with two of my best ever friends (absolute legend of a couple). I was between houses and they took pity on me and said I could stay as long as I did the cooking. Basically if I bought the food (less than any rent) and cooked it (what I liked to do in my spare time), I could live rent free, with two incredible people. Bargain!
Any way a couple of months into my freeloading, I was cooking my take on a spaghetti bolognese and my flatmate/landlady’s mother turned up out of the blue on cards night and turned me into a nervous wreck!
To put this into perspective Nella (the mother) was a septuagenarian Italian Nonna, who was famous for her culinary skills (aren’t they all). To say I almost died when Nella turned up would be a major understatement. I still remember my nervous demeanour as she walked into the kitchen and headed for my supposed “bolognese” bubbling on the stove and demanded a spoon.
Nella tasted it and after what seemed like an eternity, she announced that it was a “bellissima salsa”, I was so relieved but before I could spend too much time basking in the glory of a “Nella tick” on my “salsa” (who knew it was a “salsa”?), she promptly proceeded to the fridge took out the milk and poured some cow juice into my “salsa” followed by a teaspoon of sugar.
I was both excited and horrified, I received the high praise, but milk in my beef mince tomato concoction and then sugar! After a while I realised that I did put sugar in other savoury sauces that I cooked, such as Thai curries, so what was the difference. I later found out that this was normal practice when making a bolognese and ever since that night I have always added milk and sugar to my bolognese and while I can’t swear that they make a huge difference to the taste, they do to me.
Nella then partnered me in a few hands of 500, she was an ace card player, (unlike myself) and it would be fair to say that while she liked my cooking, she hated my card playing and told me so, in no uncertain terms. You can’t win them all!
Unfortunately Nella is no longer with us, otherwise I could have asked her about my Lasagne recipe, (but I probably would have been too scared). Like I said this is “One Man’s Interpretation of Lasagne”.
After you get past whether to milk or not to milk (and sugar) there is the whole red wine vs white wine, also why didn’t I use celery and carrots before you move onto the cheese in the bechamel or on the bechamel. Also I use GF flour and pasta, which in todays advanced technology, makes very little difference. To top it off is it Lasagne or Lasagna? The questions are endless, but at the end of the day (as long as I don’t get wacked), who cares as long as it tastes good.
I can’t help you with the finer details of Italian cooking, but the origin of this recipe is the bolognese sauce that, although it’s been tweaked a bit, is an adaptation of the same sauce that got the Nella tick, so it must be good…
One Man’s interpretation of Lasagne
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oil in a large, heavy bottomed pan at a medium heat, sweat the onions for a few minutes and add the garlic and continue to cook for about 10 minutes total, don't brown them, just sweat baby sweat.
- Turn the heat up to medium high and add the mince, breaking it up with a wooden spoon/spatula/potato masher/weapon of choice and brown, turning to make sure there is no burning, just browning.
- Turn the heat up to high and mix in the tomato paste, once it's sizzling add the red wine, deglaze the pan and turn back down to medium, once the alcohol has burned off (all the while stirring).
- Add the tomatoes and the stock, stir leave to bring up to temperature.
- Once it is bubbling add the herbs, pepper and salt, stir in and then after five minutes add the milk and sugar and stir again.
- Turn down to a simmer and leave it to develop flavour, for at least 30 minutes, but if you have time up to 1½ hours (if doing a longer simmer use a lid for the first ⅔ of the time), topping up with stock when needed (if it's looking dry)
- Remove from the heat and prepare to assemble
- Approximately 15 minutes prior to the Bolognaise being ready melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, once gently bubbling add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon constantly for about a minute.
- Once thick and golden, don't worry if it seems too thick, add the milk 250ml at a time, each time stirring and allow it to thicken.
- Once you have the desired consistency simmer on a medium low heat for about 5 mins, stirring constantly
- Add the cheese stir and and turn off the heat
- Take a deep ceramic dish about 20cm square (whatever you've got, you can make work as long as it's not too big), spoon a thin later of the meat sauce on the bottom of the dish, then lay your first layer of lasagne sheets, if they don't fit exactly, cut them to size, (roughly is good enough, we are not looking for Michelangelo here).
- Top the Lasagne sheets with meat sauce and then a layer of the cheese sauce and then lasagne sheets and then meat sauce then cheese sauce and so on until you have no meat sauce and no lasagne sheets left. There is no way to explain the amounts to use for each layer, you're on your own there, but if you've got this far, I believe in you!!!
- The top layer should be lasagne sheets topped with the cheese sauce and then the other grated Mozzarella/Tasty Cheese
- Bake in the oven for 30 mins @ 185℃/365℉, until golden and bubbling and oozing greatness.
- Cut into squares, serve with some grated parmesan cheese (just in case you don't think there is enough cheese), you can put some salad on the side if you feel that you need to balance things out, but it's not necessary. Enjoy!
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