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Amrita de Soyza

Not my Mama's Lasagna

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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

Meat filling
  • 4 tbs Olive oil
  • 1 lb Ground beef 10 - 15% fat. If using lean beef more liquid may be needed
  • 1 lb Pork breakfast sausage meat
  • 1 Onion (large) chopped
  • 1 lb Frozen peas & diced carrots thawed
  • 4 cloves Garlic finely sliced
  • 150 grams Spicy Moroccan Harissa I used the bottled kind from a grocery store
  • 20 leaves Basil or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 1 cup Broth • Beef or Vegetable unsalted or low salt is best
  • Salt to taste
Béchamel (White sauce)
  • 5 tbsp Butter unsalted, or use salted and reduce salt added
  • 1/4 cup White flour all purpose or plain
  • 4½ cups Milk
  • ½ cup Parmesan shredded
  • Salt to taste
Lasagna pasta & construction
  • 1 packet No-boil lasagna sheets sufficient for 3 to 4 layers in a 9 x 13 inch oven proof dish
  • 1 lb Shredded mozzarella

Equipment

  • 9 x 13 inch oven proof dish
  • Large frying pan with lid
  • Medium pot with lid

Method
 

Make the meat filling
  1. In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef and pork sausage meat.
  2. In a large frying pan, heat the oil on medium-high heat and add the onions and garlic. Saute the onions and garlic, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens.
  3. Add the pork and beef mixture to the onions and using the edge of a wooden spoon or spatula break up the ground meat into small pieces . Stir occasionally to make sure the meat mix has cooked through.
  4. Add 150g (half) the harissa to the meat and stir thoroughly to make sure all the meat is coated.
  5. Add the thawed frozen peas and carrots, stir to distribute throughout the meat mixture.
  6. Add half the basil leaves and all the broth. Bring to a light simmer, then reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and let simmer for 4 minutes.
  7. If more salt is desired add now - but remember more harissa (which can be salty) will be added as will cheese which also adds salt.
  8. Allow to simmer for another 2 minutes then take off the heat and allow to cool while you make the bechamel.
Make the bechamel
  1. In a medium-sized pot, melt the butter on a medium heat setting.
  2. When the butter is melted remove from the heat, add the flour to the melted butter and whisk until well blended - 1/2 to 1 minute.
  3. Return to heat at a low setting, add 1 cup of milk and stir/whisk until the milk and flour are well blended. Add the remaining milk, 1 cup at a time, stirring/whisking until well blended before adding the next cup. At the end of this process the sauce should have a thin creamy consistency with no lumps.
  4. Increase the heat to medium and continue stirring until the sauce thickens sufficiently to coat the back of a wooden spoon - about 4 - 7 minutes.
  5. Remove from heat and add the parmesan cheese and stir until the cheese softens and is blended into the sauce.
  6. Add salt to taste, only if needed.
Assemble the Lasagna
  1. Preheat oven to 375oF/190oC
  2. Use about 1 cup of the meat filling to line the bottom of a 9 x 12-inch baking dish.
  3. Cover with a single layer of lasagna sheets.
  4. Spread about two tablespoons of the remaining harissa on the lasagna sheets using the back of a spoon.
  5. Spread 2 cups of meat filling over the top of the harissa-coated lasagna sheets.
  6. Spread 1 cup of the bechamel cheese sauce over the meat.
  7. Sprinkle ¼ lb of the shredded mozzarella over the cheese sauce.
  8. Repeat the steps lasagna, harissa, meat, bechamel, mozzarella another two times. By now you should have used up all the meat filling.
  9. If there is any liquid remaining from the meat filling spoon it over the lasagna now.
  10. For the final, top layer cover with lasagna sheets, coat with harissa, the remaining bechamel cheese sauce, then sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on top.
  11. Bake for 25 minutes (or until the cheese begins to bubble and turn a golden brown).
  12. Remove from the oven, garnish with the remaining basil, and let stand about 10 minutes before serving.
  13. Serve with garlic bread and a mediterranean salad. Enjoy!
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