Credit Crunch Lasagne

My husband just cooked this Credit Crunch version of Lasagne.  Very nice and affordable indeed!




Gordon's Classic Lasagne al Forno - Serves 4  

Ingredients

1/2 large onion 
1 large carrot 
2 cloves garlic, peeled 
2 pinches dried oregano 
300g minced beef 
1 tablespoon tomato purée 
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 
1 bay leaf 
30ml (2 tbsp) red wine 
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes 
50ml milk

For the sauce: 25g butter 
25g flour 
300ml milk 
Pinch of ground nutmeg 
60g cheddar cheese, grated 
30g parmesan cheese, grated 
6 sheets of 'non-cook' lasagne sheets

For the salad: 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar 
1 x round lettuce head, rinsed and dried

Olive oil 
Salt and pepper

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 225c.

Heat the olive oil in a hot pan.  Grate the onion and carrot and crush the garlic before frying together. Season with the bay leaf, a pinch of oregano, Worcestershire sauce and a little salt and pepper.  Allow the onion to soften before making a well in the centre of the pan.  Place the mince in the middle of the pan and stir to break it up. Add the tomato puree and allow to cook out for 30 seconds. Continue until all the meat has browned nicely. Add the wine and cook off the alcohol before adding the tomatoes.  Leave to simmer for a further 2-3 minutes.  Finally add the milk, turn off the heat and set aside. 

To make the cheese sauce, first melt the butter in a saucepan.  Add the flour and using a wooden spoon, stir to form a paste.  Over a gentle heat add a third of the milk, whisking to prevent any lumps forming.  Add the rest of the milk a third at a time, whisking as you go. Season with salt and pepper and a pinch of ground nutmeg. Allow the sauce to cook out for another minute before adding the cheddar cheese.  Stir and remove from the heat.

Spoon half of the meat sauce into the bottom of the baking dish and place pasta sheets on top (break the sheets if necessary to avoid any overlapping).  Next pour in just under half of the cheese sauce, and spread evenly using a spatula before spooning the remaining meat on top.  Add the final layer of pasta and use the spatula to pour over the remaining cheese sauce.  

Finish with the grated parmesan and sprinkle with another pinch of oregano.  Add a light seasoning of salt and pepper before cleaning the edges of the dish and placing in the oven to bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

In the bottom of your salad bowl use a fork to whisk together the mustard, vinegar and olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper. Carefully open the head of lettuce, season inside with salt and pepper.  Upend the lettuce headfirst into the salad bowl.  Holding the root, wipe the leaves around the bowl to coat in the vinaigrette.  Twist the root and pull it out.  Turn the dressed head of lettuce onto a large plate and gently open out. 

Portion out the lasagne and serve alongside the salad. 

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