Lasagne has for a long time been a favourite of mine and so it was only a matter of time before my day lasagne recipe made an appearance. In fact I had lasagne followed by bread and butter pudding on my 18th Birthday. There is magic in the combination of meat sauce, béchamel, pasta and a crisp topping. Instant comfort. I have been lucky enough to travel with my job, my first job was singing & dancing on board a cruise ship. The company I worked for was an Italian company. I rehearsed in Italy and cruised around Italy for a time as well as the Mediterranean and South America. During this time I managed to consume copious amounts of pasta and had lasagne in many different parts of Italy.
I created this recipe fairly recently. It is made with my Ragu recipe and I add a pinch of cheese to the béchamel as well as a cheesey top. I honestly look forward to this every time. Plus making the ragu and having it in the freezer makes this so so simple to prep and all the more satisfying to eat.
The question of what to serve with lasagne really does come down to personal choice. I know some like to have it with garlic bread, whilst the idea of double carbs sends others running for the hills. A simple green salad works well I find. I have also served it with nothing but dazzling conversation and everyone was happy comforted and full by then end. Of course dessert should follow if entertaining and I would serve a fruit based dessert following the lasagne to avoid people feeling sluggish and heavy, maybe a lemon semifreddo with fresh raspberries.
This dish is one that can provide private solace or be whipped out for an entertaining evening with friends. I find that lasagne is one of my fail-safes. If I have guests descending then a lasagne can send every one of them home happy. And having had the ragu made and frozen makes it a stress-free option, always a bonus. When I’m entertaining I want it to be stress free I don’t want to be chained to the stove I want to be engaging with my guests. A lasagne that can bake and a dessert in the freezer is a short cut to the easiest of evenings.
I will say when it comes time to portion and serve I remove from the oven and let it stand for 10 minutes, this makes portioning much easier. Then you can have clean portions rather than steaming spoonfuls, not that that affects the taste in any way.
I hope you try this easy lasagne recipe out and enjoy this as much as I do. Let me know how you do in the comments below.
Take a look at some other pasta dishes:
Sausage & Fennel Pasta
Crispy Fried Ravioli
Sausage & Ricotta Ravioli
If you try it show me how it goes on Instagram and tag me @cubbinthekitchen for a chance to be featured in my stories.
Lovely Lasagne
Ingredients
- 1 lot Beef Ragu Recipe
- 15 grams Butter
- 15 grams Plain Flour All Purpose
- 150 ml Milk Preferably Warm
- Lasagne Pasta Sheets
- Grated Cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180° Fan or 200° Conventional.
- Making the béchamel – In a saucepan melt the Butter.Once the butter is foamy stir in the Flour to make a roux. Cook the flour out about 2 mins.Whisk in the Milk slowly, making sure it is smooth. The warm milk helps it incorporate better.
- Add a sprinkle of Cheese; I’d say a child’s handful. You’re looking for the suggestion of Cheese rather than strong Cheese Sauce. You can do this set without the hob on the heat from the sauce will melt the Cheese easily.
- Repeat these layers to create your lasagne, how many layers you have will be dictated by not only your own wishes but also the size and depth of the dish you are using. One I use gives me two layers of each so ragu, pasta, sauce, ragu, pasta, sauce. This is a good amount but if your hungry push for more layers.
- On top you have finished by spreading béchamel on pasta, then cover with grated cheese.
- Put the dish on a baking tray, in case of over spill, and bake in the oven for 45 mins until the top is crisp and the ragu is bubbling.
Notes
LEFTOVERS TIP
The best thing to do with lasagne leftovers is to either put in the fridge for the next day or freeze for another time.You could chop up the pasta into smaller pieces and create a pasta bake topped with breadcrumbs and cheese.
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