I absolutely LOVE lasagne but I seriously cannot make it to save my life - I have tried so many times with a few different recipes but it's always bad...I might try with the fresh lasagne sheets and see if that helps!
Best tip - don't go for low-fat. Seriously. It's like good ice-cream, there's just no point in doing it half-way. Indulge...
The best way to get a really creamy lasagne, is... drum-roll.... Cream.
Start with a very juicy and well cooked bolognese. I put lots of garlic, rosemary, thyme, a fresh bay leaf, onion, carrot, celery, bacon, mushrooms, red wine, tomato passata, tomato paste, veg stock, and simmer for at least two hours, but you can use whatever you want really, as long as it ends up rich and juicy. Some regional recipes call for a mix of beef and pork mince, others call for chicken livers. I use neither. Once it's done, stir double cream into the sauce, till it's nice and creamy. If I'm making vegie lasagne, I use a well flavoured and wet tomato based sauce, adding vegies like carrot, broccoli, celery, then layer char-grilled vegies (sweet potato, eggplant, zucchini, capsicum) when making it.
Make your bechamel - make a roux and add milk, stirring constantly until it thickens. Add freshly grated parmesan cheese, a bit of pepper, nutmeg (even better if freshly grated), cool slightly and add double cream to further thicken it.
Always start with a layer of sauce, this prevents it sticking to the dish. Then layer (fresh) pasta, sauce, then drizzle bechamel, then sprinkle mozzarella and parmesan, repeat until you have run out of stuff or out of dish room. The last layer should be pasta, then spread bechamel, then sprinkle with lots of mozzarella and parmesan. Then bake until golden and yummy and oozing with lasagney goodness. Eat. Call ambulance (yes, it is instant heart attack material).
And it was sooooooo good!!!! I feel really proud (I know its a bit silly but I have always wanted to make lasagne and always put it in the too hard basket.
So I basically followed the san remo recipe but like Suse suggested I added cream (not good for the diet but wanted to impress DP with my cooking skills)
I also added extra veges by grating carrot, zucchini, added mushrooms and some spinach.
THe best thing is it made so much so DP will be stoked that he will be having lasagne for the week when he tastes how good it is!
I've actually been approached by a stranger (my apologies for forgetting who you are) telling me they found my lasagne/bolognaise recipe here... how cool
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for me! hehehe
how cool
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