Lasagna with parmesan bachamel
Featuring our house-made organic bolognese sauce, this homemade lasagna gives you all the flavour of a slow-cooked family classic and with a fraction less of the effort.
Serves: 6 - 8 people
How much to order: 2 jars of Hagen’s Organic Bolognese Sauce
Prep time: 30 minutes Cook time: 35 - 45 minutes Total time: 75 minutes
INGREDIENTS
2 jars of Hagen's Organic Bolognese Sauce
12 fresh pasta sheets
1.5 L whole milk
85g grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1 10cm piece of Parmigiano Reggiano rind
1 fresh bay leaf
5g grated fresh nutmeg
100g AP flour
100g chopped butter
250g shredded mozzarella
Half a bunch of basil leaves
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Drop your pasta sheets in two to three at a time and cook until al dente. Transfer to an ice bath, then drain, drizzling a little olive oil between the sheets so they don't stick. Repeat until all sheets are done, then set aside.
Pour the Hagen's Organic Bolognese Sauce into a pot and bring to a gentle simmer, letting the oil and meat come back together. If it's a bit thick, add half a cup to one cup of water to loosen it, then simmer.
Put the milk, bay leaf and parmesan rind into a pot and bring to a gentle simmer. Keep it on low heat, add salt, pepper and nutmeg, and let it infuse for about 15 minutes. Keep warm on the stove.
In a medium pot, melt the butter, then add the AP flour. Whisk together over medium heat until a paste forms, and keep whisking until you smell a nutty flavour. This takes longer than you'd think, about 10 minutes. Turn the heat down to low and slowly whisk in the warm milk mixture, adding gradually until you have a smooth yet thick sauce with no lumps. Stir through the grated parmesan.
In a large tray (28 x 40 x 5cm), spoon in a layer of bolognese and bechamel, then top with two pasta sheets. Add two more spoonfuls each of bolognese and bechamel, followed by a handful of mozzarella. Repeat this layering until you reach about 3cm from the top of the tray. Finish with a scattering of basil leaves and the remaining bechamel.
Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30–45 minutes. Remove from the oven and rest for 15 minutes before serving with extra grated parmesan and basil.
Serving Note: Let the lasagna rest out of the oven for 15 minutes before cutting. This gives the cheese and sauce time to settle, so you get a clean slice instead of a sloppy one. It also freezes well, so it's worth making extra to store for up to 3 months for a quick week night meal.
