Beef and Spinach Lasagne

This simple recipe learnt from a good friend's grandmother while living in Italy, is a healthy, tasty take on this classic Italian favourite and can be made with ricotta or cottage cheese in place of the bechamel sauce.

Nutmeg is the magic ingredient in the sauce, it adds a little nutty warmth.

Ingredients:

1 x 250g packet of egg lasagne (the I Due Pastori pasta does not need to be pre-cooked for this recipe).

2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes (NB the olive oil, tomatoes, herbs and garlic can be substituted with the I Due Pastori Napoli or Peperonata sauces for a easy, tasty alternative). Another alternative is vine-ripened tomatoes ideally from your own garden, allow these to simmer gently in the pan until they start to fall apart, remove the skins from the pan.

1 tblsp extra virgin olive oil

1 small onion chopped finely

2 cups of freshly chopped spinach leaves or frozen if fresh is not available

500g quality low fat beef mince

1 cup beef or vegetable stock

3 cloves freshly crushed garlic

1 tsp each oregano, rosemary, basil (preferably fresh or dried if fresh is not available)

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

pinch of sea salt and sugar to taste

Method:

Heat a fry pan to medium, add mince and stir gently until browned. If the meat has too much fat you can pour out the excess from the frypan. Once the meat is lightly browned on the outside add the onion and when it starts to sweat add the garlic.

When the garlic starts to sweat before it turns brown add the olive oil and the chopped tomatoes (or I Due Pastori sauce) and stir through.

When the tomatoes start to simmer add the herbs and spinach, a pinch of sea salt and the nutmeg, stir gently to combine and lower the heat until the sauce is only gently simmering and allow it to thicken. Gradually add the stock in small increments so the sauce continues to simmer. Leave this to simmer while you prepare the Bechamel sauce

 

Ingredients to make Bechamel sauce:

50g butter

3 tblsp quality Italian or all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups of milk

3/4 cup grated good quality parmesan

Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method for Bechamel Sauce:

Melt the butter in a pan and then add flour stirring constantly, once the flour starts to froth start to gradually add milk a little at a time. Continue stirring until the mixture thickens, remove from heat and add the parmesan and season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Method to layer lasagne:

Pour a little of the liquid from the tomato and meat sauce to just cover a large rectangular oven-proof dish. Place the lasagne sheets in the dish, covering the sauce completely. Add more of the meat sauce and a little of the bechamel or the ricotta alternative. Continue in layers of pasta, meat sauce and bechamel sauce, finishing with the last layer of tomato sauce, sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese and cover the dish with tin foil.

Bake at 180 degrees for 40 minutes or until a fork goes easily through the pasta sheets.

Remove from oven and remove foil and allow to stand for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Products used in this recipe