When I was 14 (or so), I visited my rellies in the UK by myself. Ok, so my parents made me take my sister along with me. And my aunt made lasagna with meat sauce while we were there and as it wasn't something that we ate at home I watched her very closely and she taught me how to make it. And when I came back from our trip, it became one of my signature dishes. Over the year's I've tweaked it many ways, so much so that my aunt, after my brother rapsodized about it on one occasion (he must have been somewhat intoxicated), asked me where I got the recipe. She didn't remember teaching me. Last weekend, after a day of coaxing a small boy out on the soccer field after racing to get him soccer shoes and shin guards, and then running numerous other errands, I wanted some comfort food for supper. I had lasagna sheets in the freezer left from the yam and chard lasagna a few weeks ago so I made lasagna with meat sauce, which is fairly close to my aunt's original recipe.
Lasagna with meat sauce
1 lb ground pork
1 onion, sliced thinly
1 tbsp roasted garlic
1 tsp each oregano and thyme
1/2 tsp dry mustard
salt and pepper
handful of mushrooms, sliced
1 medium red pepper, sliced
1 jar of prepared tomato sauce
1 pkg fresh spinach, roughly sliced (optional)
6 or more lasagna sheets (I used frozen fresh)
5 tbsp butter
5 tbsp flour
700 mL milk or milk/stock mixed
grated fresh nutmeg
1 handful of grated parmesan cheese
1-2 c grated mozarella cheese
Brown the pork over medium high heat. When somewhat brown, drain off some of the fat and add the onion, garlic and seasonings. Saute until the onion is somewhat soft and add the mushrooms and pepper. Cook until soft and then add the tomato sauce. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Leave to simmer for 20 minutes. Add the spinach and heat until the spinach is wilted.
In another pan, heat the butter until melted. Add the milk (or milk/stock mix) and the flour to the pot and whisk together until no lumps are present. Heat until the sauce begins to thicken and bubble and lower the heat to medium low and simmer for 5 minutes. Season with pepper and nutmeg and add the parmesan cheese. Stir to incorporate.
To assemble - spoon a bit of the tomato meat sauce (1/2 c) in the bottom of a 9x13 pan and spread all over the bottom. Add lasagna sheets over the sauce in a single layer, covering as much of the pan as possible without going up the sides. Add 1/3 of the remaining tomato meat sauce, spread evenly, add 1/4 of the bechamel (milk) sauce and spread evenly and then sprinkle with 1/4 of the mozarella cheese. Repeat twice more , then pour the remaining bechamel evenly over the top and sprinkle with the remaining mozarella cheese.
Bake at 350 deg F for 40-50 minutes until bubbly and the cheese is golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.
1 comment:
We also had meat lasagne last weekend - a big favourite of all the boys these days! I always use beef mince - never though of trying it with pork, so might do that soon. Tomorrow is roast pork belly though..... mmmmmmm.
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