Lamb Lasagne Food

LAMB LASAGNE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 130C/110C fan/gas 1. Heat the oil in a casserole dish. Season the lamb generously, then sizzle for 5 mins until nicely browned. Add the garlic and rosemary and cook for a minute more, then pour over the passata. Rinse out the passata carton with a splash of water, then pour that in too. Season, then bring to a simmer. Cover tightly with foil, top with the lid, then cook in the oven for at least 3½ hrs or up to 4 hrs, until the lamb is shreddable. Leave the lamb to cool slightly, then use two forks to shred it into the sauce. Will keep in the fridge for two days, or in the freezer for 6 months.
• To make the béchamel, heat the milk in a saucepan until just simmering. In a separate pan, melt the butter, then add the flour and stir to make a sandy paste. Slowly whisk in the hot milk until combined and you have a glossy white sauce. Stir in half the parmesan and season. Meanwhile, soak the lasagne sheets in just-boiled water to soften, then drain.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Spread a thin layer of the lamb sauce over the base of a small lasagne dish, then top with a layer of pasta, followed by a third of the béchamel and a third of the mozzarella. Add a second layer of lamb, then again top with pasta, then béchamel, then mozzarella. Add a final layer of pasta, then top with the rest of the béchamel, the last of the mozzarella, the remaining parmesan and the panko breadcrumbs. Bake the lasagne for 35 mins, then turn the oven up to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Bake for 10 mins more to crisp up the top, then leave to rest for 10 mins before serving straight from the dish with a few dressed chicory leaves, if you like.

BOLOGNESE LASAGNE

Steps:

• For the Bolognese ragu: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Smear 1 tablespoon butter in an even layer over the bottom and sides of a Dutch oven. Set aside.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, render the bacon until cooked through but not crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat from the skillet. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and melt over medium heat. Add the garlic, celery, carrots and onion and saute until the onion is translucent and the vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to the Dutch oven.
• Add the oil to the skillet and add the beef. Cook the meat, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, until uniformly brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer the beef and bacon to the Dutch oven and pour in the chicken stock, wine and tomato puree. Transfer to the oven and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 hours.
• If there is a large amount of fat on top of the sauce, skim it off with a large spoon. Stir in the cream and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper if needed.
• For the cheese sauce: In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour, whisking for a minute. Add the milk and cream and cook, whisking, until the mixture thickens, 5 to 10 minutes. (The process goes more quickly if you warm the milk and cream beforehand.) Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat, add the fontina and nutmeg and whisk to combine.
• For the lasagna: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish along the bottom and sides.
• Spread a thin layer of the ragu sauce on the bottom of the baking dish and top with a single layer of noodles. Top with another layer of the ragu sauce. Spoon a thin layer of the cheese sauce over the ragu in the baking dish. Top with a second layer of noodles and continue layering with the ragu, cheese sauce and noodles until you've finished the noodles and reached the top. Finish with a last layer of ragu and cheese sauce and top with the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Bake until bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes.

MINTY LAMB LASAGNA

Steps:

• Cook onion and garlic until soft.
• Add lamb to the pan and brown.
• Add mint salt, pepper, and tomatoes with juice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover the pan and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions, undercooking slightly.
• Drain and let stand on paper towels until cool.
• Preheat oven to 350.
• Combine milk, flour, and butter in a small pan over med-low heat, stirring constantly until sauce thickens.
• Season with salt and pepper if desired.
• Coat 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray.
• Alternate layers of noodles with meat mixture beginning and ending with noodles.
• Spread white sauce over top and sprinkle evenly with cheese.
• Bake 40 minutes or until brown and bubbly.

LAZY LASAGNA WITH LAMB RAGU, SPINACH AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• For the ragu: Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil smokes, pat the ground lamb dry and add to pan, brown to caramelize the meat, season with rosemary, marjoram, cloves, salt, and pepper. Once the meat has browned, add the onion, carrot, garlic and cook to soften 10 minutes more, stirring frequently. Stir in tomato paste, cook 1 minute or until fragrant. Stir in stock then wine, reduce heat to low and gently simmer.
• In salted boiling water, undercook the pasta by 2 minutes from package directions. Reserve a cup of starchy pasta liquid.
• Meanwhile, heat the butter in a saucepot over medium heat, whisk in 2 tablespoons flour, 1 to 2 minutes, whisk in the milk and simmer to thicken. Season the bechamel sauce with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, to taste.
• Drain the pasta and add back to the pasta pot. Toss the pasta with the lamb ragu and some of the reserved starchy cooking water to loosen. Pour the pasta into a large casserole. Scatter the spinach around on top of pasta.
• Combine the ricotta with mint and/or parsley, dot the pasta with ricotta evenly around the casserole. Pour the bechamel sauce in even layer around the casserole and top with grated cheese. Cool and store for make-ahead meal. Reheat in 350 degree F oven, covered, for 30 minutes then raise the heat to 425 degrees F and bake uncovered, until brown and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes.
• To serve immediately, transfer the casserole to a preheated 425 degree F oven and bake about 15 to 20 minutes, to brown.

LAMB AND POLENTA LASAGNA

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
• Drain 1 can tomatoes, reserving juice, then break up tomatoes into 1/2-inch pieces with a spoon if necessary; puree the second can of tomatoes,including juice and reserved juice (from other can), 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon allspice in a blender OR use hand blender, until smooth.
• Transfer tomato puree to a 2-quart heavy saucepan and boil uncovered, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 1/2 cup, about 20 minutes, remove from heat.
• Heat a dry 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot, then brown lamb with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon allspice, stirring and breaking up lumps (but leaving meat slightly chunky), about 5 minutes; add drained tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until juices are absorbed, about 1 minute.
• Cut polenta into 1/4-inch-thick slices with a sharp knife and cover bottom of a 9-inch glass pie plate with half of polenta slices (overlapping slightly); scatter half of lamb mixture over polenta, then top with half of mozzarella, then remaining polenta; scatter remaining lamb on top and spread tomato sauce over meat, then top with remaining mozzarella.
• Bake, uncovered, until bubbling and beginning to brown, about 20 minutes; let stand, loosely covered with foil, 15 minutes before serving, Enjoy.

GREEK-STYLE LAMB AND EGGPLANT LASAGNE

Steps:

• Cut eggplant lengthwise into 1/3-inch-thick slices and sprinkle slices on both sides with salt. Arrange eggplant in a large colander and weight it with a heavy bowl. Drain eggplant 1 hour. Remove bowl and pat eggplant dry.
• Set broiler rack so that eggplant will be about 4 inches from heat and preheat broiler.
• Arrange eggplant in one layer in oiled shallow baking pans and brush with oil. Broil eggplant until golden, about 3 minutes on each side.
• Make meat sauce:
• In a large heavy non-stick skillet cook onions and garlic in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until softened. Add lamb and cook, stirring to break up, until it is no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Stir in remaining meat sauce ingredients and salt and pepper to taste and simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes. Meat sauce may be made 3 days ahead, cooled completely, and chilled, covered.
• Make white sauce while meat sauce is cooking:
• In a heavy saucepan melt butter over moderately low heat and whisk in flour until smooth. Cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes. Whisk in milk in a stream and salt and pepper to taste and simmer, whisking occasionally, 5 minutes, or until thick. Whisk in egg, whisking vigorously, and simmer sauce, whisking, 1 minute. White sauce may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, its surface covered with plastic wrap.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Pour 1 cup meat sauce into a flame-proof baking dish, 13 by 9 by 2 inches (sauce will not cover bottom completely), and cover with 3 lasagne sheets, making sure they do not touch each other. Spread about 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over pasta and arrange 1 layer broiled eggplant on top. Gently spread about 1/2 cup white sauce over eggplant and sprinkle with about 1/3 cup feta. Make 2 more layers in same manner, beginning and ending with pasta. Spread remaining white sauce evenly over top pasta layer, making sure pasta is completely covered, and sprinkle with remaining feta.
• Cover dish tightly with foil, tenting slightly to prevent foil from touching top layer, and bake in middle of oven 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake lasagne 10 minutes more, or until top is bubbling.
• Set broiler rack so that lasagne will be about 4 inches from heat and preheat broiler.
• Broil lasagna 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden. Let lasagne stand 5 minutes before serving.