Cheesy tomato and ricotta lasagne
Store-bought lasagne might be quicker and easier to prepare, but there’s nothing better than the taste of homemade. Trust us – this recipe for cheesy tomato and ricotta lasagne is worth the extra effort.
Serves: 4 to 5 people
Ingredients:
- 1 brown onion, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons lasagne herbs (see recipe below)
- 70g tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup red wine or vegetable stock
- 1 x 680ml jar tomato passata
- 1 carrot, grated
- 3-4 x 100g sheets fresh lasagne pasta (or sheets about same size as your baking dish)
- 120g baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped
Lasagne herbs
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 2 teaspoons dried chives
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- Pinch of dried rosemary
For the béchamel sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1½ cups milk
- ½ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 200g ricotta cheese
For the salad
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 1 apple
- 1 baby cos lettuce
- ½ telegraph cucumber
- 1 zucchini
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 210C. Lightly grease a large baking dish (measuring about 35 x 25cm).
2. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large, deep fry-pan on medium-high heat. Cook onion for about 2 minutes, until tender.
3. Add lasagne herbs, tomato paste and salt and cook for a further 2-3 minutes, until fragrant.
4. Add wine/stock and simmer for 1 minute, until almost evaporated. Add passata and carrot, bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 2 minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
5. While sauce is simmering, melt butter in a small pot and whisk in flour. Add milk, a little at a time, whisking constantly for about 3 minutes, until sauce is thick and creamy. Whisk in first measure of parmesan and ricotta then remove from heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
6. Lay 1 sheet of pasta in the bottom of the prepared dish (cut to fit and cover base) and top with ⅓ of each of the cooked tomato sauce, spinach and béchamel sauce. Repeat with remaining ingredients, finishing with béchamel.
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until cooked through and golden.
8. While lasagne cooks, combine shallot, vinegar, oil and parmesan in a large bowl. Quarter apple and thinly slice; roughly chop lettuce; thinly slice cucumber; peel zucchini into long, thin ribbons. Toss veggies with shallot dressing just before serving and season to taste with salt and pepper.
9. To serve, divide cheesy tomato and ricotta lasagne between plates and serve with a handful of salad.
Written by Nadia Lim. Republished with permission of Stuff.co.nz. Image credit: My Food Bag.