Spicy Lasagne

This recipe is based on Gordon Ramsay’s Lasagne Al Forno but i add my own little twists to it to spice it up a bit.

You could also use left over chilli con carne between the lasagne layers and a slightly less cheesy sauce.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red onion, peeled
• 1 large carrot, peeled
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 pinches dried oregano
• 10-15 chestnut mushrooms
• 1 teaspoon chilli flakes (can use more if you want it hotter)
• 1 teaspoon of chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon of tabasco sauce
• 454g minced beef
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 bay leaf
• 30ml (2 tbsp) red wine
• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes with herbs
• 50ml milk
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce

• *25g butter
• 25g flour
• 300ml milk
• Pinch of ground nutmeg
• 100g Cheddar cheese, grated
• 30g Parmesan cheese, grated
• 6 sheets of ‘non-cook’ lasagne sheets

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 225°C.

2. Heat the olive oil in a hot pan. Grate the carrot  and finely slice the onion, chop the mushrooms, and crush the garlic before frying together. Season with the bay leaf, a pinch of oregano, Tabasco sauce, chilli flakes, Worcestershire sauce and a little salt and pepper. Allow the onion and mushrom 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. Finish with the grated Parmesan and sprinkle with another pinch of oregano and the chilli powder. 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.

7. Portion out the lasagne and serve with salad and garlic bread

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