Lina's Lasagna

 

Makes 2 Large Bessemer Trays

Mince Mix

2 kilo beef mince (Gervasi $5 per kilo)

2 Garlic, crushed

Parsley, handful, chopped, fresh

6 tab Parmesan Cheese, grated

Nutmeg ¼ , grated

4 eggs, beaten

Salt/Pepper

4 tab Olive Oil

 

Tomato Sauce

4 tab Olive Oil

2 Onions, sliced

4 Cloves Garlic, chopped

2 Pork Ribs, no bones

4 x 700g Tomato Passata (Passata Verace or Analisa)

Small handful of basil leaves, fresh

 

Assembling Lasagna

400g Parmesan Cheese, grated

400g Champagne Ham, sliced thinly, and chopped in little squares

900g Mozzarella  ball, sliced in pieces and thinly

2 packets La Triestina Lasagna Sheets, 8 sheets, no. 9

Salt

 

Method

1.     In a large bowl mix all these ingredients for the Mince Mix together and set aside.

2.     Heat 4 tab olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan, once oil is hot fry onion, garlic, pork ribs until brown. Continue to cook while you go to next step to cook the Mince Mix.

3.     Heat 4 tab olive oil over medium heat in a large frypan, once oil is hot had the mince and press flat in pan, allow to cook on one side and once cooked turn over in clumps, allow to cook on other side.  Once cooked removed clumps of mince and place into pan with onion and pork. This can be done 2 – 3 times depending on size of frypan. 

4.     Add Tomato Passata to large saucepan with pork and mince in intervals.

5.     Cook the whole mixture in saucepan over low-medium heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add basil leaves and cook for a further 15 minutes. Total cooking time for sauce is 1 hour. Cook with lid slightly off.

 

Assembling the Lasagna

1.     Once sauce is cooked it’s ready to assemble the lasagna.

2.     Remove pork pieces from sauce and eat another time.

3.     Bring a large pot of water to the boiling. Once boiling add 1 teas salt, drop of oil and then add 4 sheets of lasagna.  Cook till still al dente. Remove the sheets to a large bowl of cold water to cool down and stop from sticking and further cooking.

4.     Repeat with remaining lasagna sheets and as required, cooking 4 sheets at a time.

5.     Assembling the Lasagna:
Add thin layer of tomato sauce to bottom on lasagna oven pan, also add pieces of mince clumps, squashing with spoon and fork.

6.     Add 2 lasagna sheets and cut another to fit.

7.     Add sauce and mince clumps, squashing the clumps as required.

8.     Add parmesan cheese.

9.     Add ham pieces

10  Add Mozzarella

11  Repeat from no. 6 above – till 5 or 6 layers are formed.

12  Ending with lasagna sheets, sauce/mince, parmesan and mozzarella.

 

Final oven cooking

 

1.     Cover the lasagna with foil and cook in oven 200oC for 1 hour, checking after 45 minutes to ensure it’s hot in the centre and not drying out.

2.     Allow to sit for 15 minutes before serving.

 

Lasagna can be made in the morning and left on the bench for a couple of hours before cooking. Or made the day before and put in the fridge for final oven cooking.