Lasagna is the most popular Italian dish. It is famous for its delicate, piquant taste. Despite the visual complexity of the culinary delight, it can be prepared at home, delighting your loved ones.
Important tips for making lasagna
Before you start preparing the dish, I note that it is important to carefully consider the purchase of ingredients for lasagna. All products must be fresh and of high quality.
Another important point is the choice of sheets. They are of two types - requiring and not requiring preliminary cooking. The second option is more convenient and faster.
In the process of making the lasagna, you will need to make your own Bechamel sauce. It is not difficult, but there is one but. A crust often forms on the surface of the sauce. If you cover Bechamel with a lid, condensation will collect and excess moisture will get into the cream. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to close the surface of the creamy sauce with cling film. Air should not remain under it.
Lasagna recipe
Ingredients for lasagna:
- 12 sheets for lasagna;
- 100 g of parmesan (can be replaced with Russian cheese);
- 1 tbsp. l. butter;
Bolognese sauce:
- 500 g minced meat;
- 100 g carrots;
- 40 g onions;
- 1 stalk of celery
- 1 bell pepper;
- 500 ml water;
- 50 ml of dry red or white wine;
- 50 g tomato paste;
- 2 tbsp. l. vegetable oil;
- 0.5 tsp salt;
- 0.5 tsp granulated sugar;
- 0.25 tsp mixture of peppers;
- 1 bay leaf.
Bechamel sauce:
- 800 ml milk;
- 50 g butter;
- 50 g wheat flour;
- 0.5 tsp salt;
- ground nutmeg - on the tip of a knife.
Cooking instructions
- You will need a deep frying pan to make Bolognese sauce. Pour sunflower oil into it.
- Peel carrots, onions. Cut into small cubes. Send to the pan. Fry, stirring constantly.
- Wash celery, bell pepper. Cut into cubes. Add to frying.
- Add minced meat to vegetables. A platter of pork, beef and chicken is best suited. The composition can be safely changed.
- Add tomato paste and bay leaves to the sauce. Mix everything thoroughly.
- Pour water and wine into the pan. Simmer over low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- To make Bechamel sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan.
- Add flour to butter, mix thoroughly.
- Heat milk in the microwave. Pour it into a saucepan with a spoon, stirring the sauce constantly. You get something that looks like semolina porridge.
- It is important to make sure that no lumps form. If this is not enough, you will have to wipe the mass through a sieve.
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Add salt, nutmeg. Cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat. The consistency should resemble liquid sour cream. The sauce will thicken as it cools. Cover Bechamel with plastic wrap.
Image - The bolognese is almost ready, you can add salt, pepper, granulated sugar.
- Remove the bay leaf, otherwise it will add bitterness.
- If there is a lot of liquid in the sauce, it must be evaporated over low heat.
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Divide the meat sauce into 3 parts. It will come in handy a little later.
Image - Take a baking dish. Grease the bottom and sides with butter.
- Put some Bechamel sauce on the bottom. Above - sheets for lasagna.
- Coat the sheets with Bechamel sauce. Top with the Bolognese.
- Smear the next layer of sheets with creamy sauce, on top - minced meat.
- Alternate until you run out of food.
- Top with the remaining Bechamel sauce.
- Grate the cheese on a coarse grater. Cover them with lasagne.
- Heat the oven to 200 degrees. Send lasagna there for 25-30 minutes.
- The lasagne will begin to inflate at high temperatures, and will settle later.
Relatives will definitely appreciate the gourmet dinner. The lasagna prepared according to this recipe turns out to be tender and tasty.
