Living in lockdown, with a dash of luxury and a jolly good dose of comfort food was required. In Byron Bay during #Covid19, we were up early, exercising, swimming across the Bay then back home to bunker down. During the first few weeks, there was pasta as far as the eyes could see in my house! There is so much comfort to be found in pasta bakes, like this oh-so-good lasagna or this crunchy penne bake.
Lockdown Lasagna
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: Serves 6-8 1x
Description
Living in lockdown, with a dash of luxury and a jolly good dose of comfort food is what’s required. Here in Byron Bay during #Covid19 we’re up early, exercising, swimming across the Bay then back home to bunker down. During the first few weeks there was pasta as far as the eyes could see in my house! There is so much comfort to be found in pasta bakes, like this oh-so-good lasagna or this crunchy penne bake.
Ingredients
For the Bolognese sauce
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 brown onion, peeled, finely sliced
4 cloves garlic, peeled, finely sliced
4 rashers bacon, finely sliced
1 kg lean beef mince
500ml tomato sugo or passata
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup red wine
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs thyme or oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
Salt and pepper
For the pasta
1 packet lasagne sheets
To finish
Olive oil or melted butter for greasing
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large skillet heat oil, add onion and grail and sauté until transparent.
- Add bacon and beef mince and cook stirring for 7-10 mins until the meat is browned all over.
- Stir in sugo, tomato paste, then pour in the red wine.
- Add bay leaves, thyme or oregano, ground cumin, ground coriander
- Reduce heat, season with salt and pepper, simmer for 40 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
- Meanwhile, cook lasagne sheets in salted boiling water according to packet instructions. Drain and pat dry.
- Preheat oven to 200°C.
- Grease an ovenproof dish with a little oil or melted butter.
- Line base of dish with prepared lasagne sheets in dish. Alternate with layers of Bolognese sauce and lasagne sheets.
- Add bechamel sauce on the top layer/s depending on how large your baking dish is.
- Press halved cherry tomatoes into the top/final bechamel layer.
- Sprinkle with grated parmesan and bake for 60 minutes until golden.
- Remove from oven, allow to cool slightly before serving.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Pasta
- Cuisine: Comfort Food
Bechamel sauce
Description
Do take the time to make this delicious Bechamel. You can double the batch and freeze for another time. Be careful not to make it too thick and gluggy, the longer it cooks, the thicker it becomes, so keep checking it as you stir.
Ingredients
Bechamel sauce
150g butter
150g flour
3 cups cold milk
1 small stalk celery
1 bay leaf
Salt
6 peppercorns
Pinch ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a heavy based, medium sized saucepan. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon. Cook on a moderate heat for a few minutes without browning.
- Slowly whisk in the milk over a low heat, smoothing out any lumps along the way. Bring to the boil briefly then reduce heat and thicken, stirring constantly.
- Then season with salt, add celery stalk, bay leaf, peppercorns and ground nutmeg.
- Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, discard celery, bay leaf and peppercorns.
- If not using immediately, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days until required (can be frozen).
- When ready to use, reheat gently over a low heat, stirring constantly.
