Lasagna

Lasagna

I find pasta very interesting. 

First of all there are so many of them : long pasta, ribbon cut pasta, irregular pasta, stuffed pasta, and so on and so forth. Then there are sub varieties also : Anelloni, Bucatini, Capellini, Fusilli, Ziti, Fettuccine, Lasagna, Linguine, Tagliatelle, etc. and just imagine in older days all these used to be made by hand.

Lasagna is something which I love to make. It is simple and easy. And you can experiment with the fillings. 

Here I am layering the lasagna sheets with chicken mince and spinach. You can layer them with mixed vegetables, corn, broccoli, even crushed soya granules. The white sauce is cheesy and the red sauce has the acidity of tomatoes. The contrast between these two are not only a feast for the eyes but also for the taste buds.

Ingredients

Lasagne sheets

For the chicken mince stuffing

150 gms chicken mince

4 garlic pods, chopped

100 gm tomato puree

Salt to taste

Chopped green coriander

For the spinach layer

1 bunch baby spinach, chopped fine

2 garlic pods, chopped

Salt to taste

For the béchamel sauce

4 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour

2 bay leaves

2 cloves

1 onion, sliced

2 cups milk (you might need to add more if the mixture becomes too thick)

½ cup grated mozzarella cheese

1 tsp oregano

½ tsp black pepper powder

Salt to taste

Pinch of nutmeg powder

First of all prepare the fillings.

Start with the chicken filling. Put a pressure cooker on gas. Add some olive oil. Saute the chopped garlic. Add the chicken mince and cook well on high heat. 

Add the tomato puree and salt and cook till the puree is almost dry. Close the lid of the cooker and give one whistle. After the pressure drops open the lid and check the mice. If it is too liquidy then dry it a little.

For the spinach layer you have to simply lightly saute the spinach. Heat some oil in a pan. Add the chopped garlic, spinach and salt to taste. Saute on high heat till the spinach leaves wilt. Make sure the mixture is dry.

After the fillings are ready you can start on the lasagne sheets and the béchamel sauce.

For the béchamel sauce infuse the milk with onion, bay leaves and cloves. Put them all to boil. After one boil turn off the gas and let it sit for 1 hour. Strain the milk.

Heat a pan and add the butter. 

Sprinkle the flour and mix well. Slowly add the milk and keep stirring so that no lumps remain. Make a smooth emulsion. Take off the heat. Sprinkle salt, nutmeg powder, oregano, black pepper powder and cheese.

Put a pan of water to boil. As it starts boiling add the lasagne sheets 2 at a time and boil till they are semi-soft. Keep aside.

Now you have to simply layer all these ingredients.

Preheat the oven at 180 degrees Celsius.

Take a baking dish. Spread a layer of chicken mince. 

Now arrange a layer of lasagne sheets. Spread another layer of mince and then a layer of spinach. 

Arrange a second layer of lasagne. 

Spread some more mince on top. Then spread a layer of béchamel sauce. 

Sprinkle some grated cheese on top. 

Bake for 20-30 minutes.