Consuming Passions - Worldwide Events Managers

Lighter Lasagna

Serves: 8

Notes

One of the world’s classic dishes gets the Consuming Passions touch with a lighter approach. Although I prefer to use traditional lasagna sheets, which I cook till al dente and drain, instant pasta sheets can be used, the sauces should be that much sloppier to allow the sheets to absorb moisture and expand.

Ingredients

For meat sauce:

• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1 stick celery, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
• 1 kg minced lean beef (or pork and veal mixture)
• 500g tomato pulp
• 250ml chicken or veal stock
• 200ml dry white wine

For bechamel sauce:

• 40 -50 g unsalted butter or margarine
• 1 heaped Tbsp cornflour
• 1 lt reduced fat milk
• 250g reduced-fat mozzarella
• 100g freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
• Black pepper
• 1 large egg, separated

For assembly:

• 1 packet traditional lasagna sheets, boiled and drained (or 1 packet instant lasagna sheets)

Method

For meat sauce:

Lightly sauté onion in olive oil until softened (about 2 minutes). Add carrot and celery and continue cooking gently for 5 or 6 minutes. Add thyme and meat, stirring constantly. When meat changes colour, add tomato pulp, stock, wine and black pepper. Continue cooking slowly for about 20 to 25 minutes till it become a thick-ish sauce. If using instant lasagna, leave sauce sloppy. While the meat sauce is cooking, prepare bechamel sauce.

For bechamel sauce:

Dissolve butter or margarine in heavy based saucepan over medium heat. Add cornflour and mix well continuing to cook, but making sure cornflour mixture does not burn. Slowly add milk, a little at a time, stirring constantly, until all milk has been used and the sauce has started thickening. Add mozzarella, a tablespoon of parmesan cheese and nutmeg. When melted, check whether any salt is needed and add at this stage. Remove sauce from heat. Stir in egg yolk.

Assemble the lasagna in a large baking dish starting with a layer of meat sauce, a layer of pasta, more meat sauce, and some bechamel sauce and continue with pasta, meat sauce and bechamel, finishing with a layer of meat sauce and reserving a final amount of bechamel. Whisk egg white until soft peaks have formed. Fold egg white into remaining sauce and spread on top of the meat sauce. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese and bake in oven at 190C for 45 minutes or until top is browned.