Want to make a lasagne completely from scratch? Have a go!
One of my fav meals ever is a good lasagne, and the satisfaction of eating one that you have made from scratch is so much better. This blog will outline how I make it - pasta, Bolognese and the Béchamel.
This looks like a lot of ingredients, but theres not a lot you won't probably have in. Here is what you'll need:
Pasta:
- 300g Plain White Flour (gluten free would work too) - 3 medium eggs
(preferably free range - the yolks are better!)
- pinch of salt
Béchamel (white sauce):
- 50g Butter
- 50g Plain White Flour
(again, GF would work too)
- 500ml Milk
Bolognese:
- 500g Beef Mince
- 1 Onion
- 1 Carrot
- 2 Sticks Celery
Sauce:
- 500g Passata
- 3 tsp Garlic Paste
- 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire
- 1 tsp mixed herbs
You'll also need:
- An Ovenproof Dish
(mine was 30cmx20cm)
- 100g Cheddar
(for the top!)
Start off with making your pasta. If you don't want to make your own pasta, just skip this step. In a food processor, put your flour, salt and eggs in together and whizz until it becomes fine breadcrumbs. If you don't have a food processor, do this is a bowl. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and knead together until you have a tough dough. Pop into cling film and rest for 30 minutes in the fridge.
While your pasta is resting, we can get on with making the béchamel. People can be scared of making this, but it is honestly the easiest thing to make and a great base to know. Add cheese to the same sauce to make a great cheese sauce for pasta or cauliflower cheese. In a medium saucepan, melt your butter. Once completely melted, add your flour and mix into a paste. Heat the paste for around 2 minutes, this cooks the flour out. Then gradually add your milk and whisk until smooth each time until you have added all the milk. Continue heating until it thickens a little - season.
Next up, is your bolognese! Cut your carrot, celery and onion finely and add to a large saucepan with a splash of oil. Saute (fancy word for fry- I mean who even knows the difference) until tender. Add the garlic paste and season. Then add the mince and cook until brown. Pop in the rest of the ingredients - passata, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and herbs - mix up and leave the bubble on a low heat for 15 minutes or so. Taste and season.
Now we have all the elements ready, we need to roll out the pasta.
Once it's been in the fridge for 30 minutes, get it back out and allow it to warm up to room temp. Split the dough into 3 and roll out each piece thin on a floured surface and cut to be the size of your dish - set aside.
Time to get assembling! Start with 4 spoons of your bolognese in the bottom of your dish and spread out. Lay your first pasta sheet on top of the meat and then cover with a few spoons of your white sauce. Repeat this with your other 2 pieces of pasta. Top with the rest of your white sauce and sprinkle over your cheddar cheese.
Your little italian beauty now needs around 45 minutes in the oven at 200c until its crispy and bubbling. Serve with salad/veggies and some garlic bread if you fancy.
Whenever I make this, I freeze half - wrap in foil and then cling film and enjoy at a later time. Yum!
You can use the pasta dough recipe for any type of pasta. Roll thin (as thin as it will go), roll into a swirl and cut into thin strips to make tagliatelle. The other day I gave ravioli a go. It's a great time to experiment. Enjoy making this and tag me in your pictures! Sophie xo