Delicious Lasagna & Fresh Green Salad - Recipe

Yesterday, I was craving something truly delicious and creamy, so I immediately thought of making lasagna. It was also a family request, so lasagna it was! I went to buy lasagna sheets and tomato sauce since I didn't have enough time to make my own tomato sauce from scratch (which I usually do, and that will be a topic for another blog post). This is a recipe I always turn to when I want to whip up a quick yet scrumptious lasagna, paired with a fresh green salad. I hope you'll give it a try!

Serves 4

Ingredients: 

12 Lasanga sheets

For the Meat Sauce:

500g tomato sauce (I'm using onion and garlic tomato sauce from Iceland)
Ca 300  minced beef
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/3 bell pepper
A small onion (I also had a small piece of aubergine and leek, which I also used in the tomato sauce)

Spices to use for extra taste in the tomato sauce: 

1/2 teaspoon of :

• smoked paprika
• black, rose, white pepper mix
• ground garlic
• herbes de provence mix
• dried parsley
• dried basil
• sea salt

(All spices should be used to taste, this is how I like it best in my tomato sauces)

Bechamel Sauce (white sauce):

 Ca 700 (1 pint) semi-skimmed milk

pinch of grated nutmeg

1,5 tablespoons of plain flour

1 tablespoon of butter (not in the picture)

salt and pepper to taste

grated cheese, ca half cup (I am using Sainsbury's white cheese, not in the picture)

Process:

1- Preheat the oven to 200°C degrees (gas mark 7). Heat the oil in a pan and add the minced meat. Fry until browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon if needed.

2-  Grate the veggies in a food processor (or by hand if you prefer that, but I use the food processor always for grating the veggies while the meat is frying as it is done in seconds and saves me time). Add the veggies in the pan and fry everything together for few minutes.

 3- Once everything is browned, add the tomato sauce, stir and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add all the spices and stir until everything is mixed well. Dont forget to taste and season more if needed.  

4- For the white sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan, add flour, and gradually pour in the milk. Stir over a moderate heat until just boiling. Add salt, black pepper and the nutmeg. Reduce heat and simmer gently, then add grated cheese. Keep stirring so nothing gets stick to the bottom of the pan, until the sauce looks smooth and thick. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

5-  The last step is when you put everything together. For this, I am using a pyrex glass baking dish. Spoon a thin layer of the tomato sauce and white sauce into the bottom of the baking dish. Place 3 lasagna sheets on top. Repeat layering with sauce and lasagna sheets, finishing with sauce on top. Sprinkle with grated cheese.

Then put the lasagna in the oven for about 30-45 minutes depending on your oven and heat, until golden brown and delicious.

This was truly an amazing dish that I try to make at least once every month. It's perfect for portioning into boxes and freezing for a convenient work lunch. For the dinner, I served it alongside a fresh green salad. It was very tasty and filling :)

Fresh green salad:

2 tomatoes

1/3 cucumber

1/3 iceberg salad

2 tablespoons of lemon juice

2 teaspoons of dried parsely

1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. 

Enjoy your delicious homemade lasagna with a side of fresh green salad!

Enjoy :)