Name: The ultimate makeover: Lasagne
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 1 h 50 min
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 onion chopped; 2 medium carrots diced; 3 plump garlic cloves finely chopped; 250g lean rump steak trimmed of fat, thinly sliced, then very finely chopped; 250g lean minced pork; 100ml red wine; 2 tbsp tomato purée; 400g can plum tomato; tsp ground nutmeg plus a pinch; handful basil leaves torn; 300g fresh spinach; 1 egg; 250g tub ricotta; handful flat-leaf parsley chopped; 6 wide sheets (about 175g/6oz) no pre-cook lasagne; 125g ball mozzarella preferably buffalo, roughly chopped; 50g parmesan coarsely grated; 200g cherry tomato on the vine; basil leaves and green salad leaves, to serve

Home
Recipes
The ultimate makeover: Lasagne

The ultimate makeover: Lasagne

Angela Nilsen

Save recipe

Serves 6

Easy

Prep: 35 mins - 40 mins

Cook: 1 hr and 50 mins

A star rating of 4.4 out of 5.21 ratingsRate

loading...

A lighter version of the family classic that retains its full flavour

Skip to ingredients

Alternatives

Complete the dish

Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

For the meat sauce

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion

chopped
2 medium carrots

diced
3 plump garlic cloves

finely chopped
250g lean rump steak

trimmed of fat, thinly sliced, then very finely chopped
250g lean minced pork
100ml red wine
2 tbsp tomato purée
400g can plum tomato
tsp ground nutmeg

plus a pinch
handful basil leaves

torn

For the layers

300g fresh spinach
1 egg
250g tub ricotta
handful flat-leaf parsley

chopped
6 wide sheets (about 175g/6oz) no pre-cook lasagne
125g ball mozzarella

preferably buffalo, roughly chopped
50g parmesan

coarsely grated
200g cherry tomato

on the vine
basil leaves

and green salad leaves, to serve

Keep the screen awake with cook mode on the Good Food app.

Nutrition: per serving

kcal447
fat19g
saturates9g
carbs31g
sugars9g
fibre0g
protein38g
salt0.96g

low

Method

step 1

Make the meat sauce: heat oil in a large sauté pan, then tip in onion and fry for 5 mins until golden. Add carrots and garlic, then fry for 2 mins more. Stir in both meats, breaking up the pork with a wooden spoon. Cook over a high heat until the meat is no longer pink and the juices are released. Pour in wine, scrape the bottom of the pan as you stir, then cook for 1-2 mins until the liquid is reduced. Tip in tomato purée, tomatoes and 2 tbsp water, then stir to break up tomatoes. Add ½ tsp nutmeg and some pepper, cover, then simmer for 1 hr, stirring occasionally. Taste and add salt if you like. Mix in torn basil. Sauce can be chilled for up to 1 day.
step 2

While the sauce is simmering, prepare the other layers. Tip the spinach into a large bowl and pour over boiling water. After 30 secs, tip spinach into a colander and put under cold running water briefly to cool. Squeeze to remove excess water. Beat the egg in a bowl, then mix with ricotta, parsley, a pinch of nutmeg and pepper. Soak the lasagne sheets in a single layer in boiling water for 5 mins. (Although the packet says no pre-cook, I find soaking improves the texture.) Drain well. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6.
step 3

Start layering. Spread a few big spoonfuls of sauce to barely cover the base of an ovenproof dish (20 x 29 x 6cm deep). Cover with 2 sheets of lasagne, then spread over half the remaining sauce. Cover with 2 more lasagne sheets, then scatter spinach evenly over. Spread the ricotta mixture on top and cover with 2 more lasagne sheets. Spread with remaining sauce, then scatter over mozzarella and Parmesan to almost cover meat. Top with cherry tomatoes and some pepper, then cover loosely with foil.
step 4

Bake for 35 mins, then remove foil and bake 5-10 mins more. Leave for a few mins, then scatter with basil and serve with salad.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, October 2008

Comments, questions and tips

Rate this recipe

What is your star rating out of 5?1 star out of 52 stars out of 53 stars out of 54 stars out of 55 stars out of 5

Choose the type of message you'd like to post

CommentQuestionTip

Overall rating

A star rating of 4.4 out of 5.21 ratings

Get 3 months of Good Food All Access

Get 3 months of Good Food All Access for just £6. Find triple-tested recipes that take the stress out of deciding what to cook, spend less time planning, and more time enjoying the season.

Subscribe now