Ingredients: Meat/Ragu Filling and Layering
Minced Turkey x 2 packs or mince your own turkey breasts
Smoked Pancetta x 6 slices, chopped
Carrots x 2, cubed
Celery x (½ a whole one) cubed
Onion x 2, cubed
Garlic x 2 cloves, chopped
Tomato Puree x 2 mini cans or at least ½ a tube.
Tinned Chopped Tomatoes x 2 400g cans
Large Courgettes to make enough ribbons for three layers of your lasagne dish
Chicken Stock (thick liquid stock, used neat from the bottle)
Red Wine
Fresh Basil
Bay Leaves
Dried Herbs of your choice
Black Pepper
Ingredients: Béchamel
Milk 370ml
Plain Flour 30g
Butter 30g
Bay Leaf
Nutmeg (optional)
Pepper
Cheese (Gruyere or Mozzarella is good but don’t bother with anything vintage or fancy…no point)
Parmesan
Smoked Pancetta x 6 slices, chopped
Carrots x 2, cubed
Celery x (½ a whole one) cubed
Onion x 2, cubed
Garlic x 2 cloves, chopped
Tomato Puree x 2 mini cans or at least ½ a tube.
Tinned Chopped Tomatoes x 2 400g cans
Large Courgettes to make enough ribbons for three layers of your lasagne dish
Chicken Stock (thick liquid stock, used neat from the bottle)
Red Wine
Fresh Basil
Bay Leaves
Dried Herbs of your choice
Black Pepper
Ingredients: Béchamel
Milk 370ml
Plain Flour 30g
Butter 30g
Bay Leaf
Nutmeg (optional)
Pepper
Cheese (Gruyere or Mozzarella is good but don’t bother with anything vintage or fancy…no point)
Parmesan
Meat/Ragu Filling Method
On a high heat add a splash of olive oil in a heavy bottomed pan & brown the mince in batches to avoid creating steam. I’m not a fan of non-stick pans, they tend to take forever to heat up and if not hot enough the meat will steam, which is not what you want here. Don’t add any salt at this stage, it will create too much moisture, plus we’re adding more complex saltiness from the pancetta and chicken stock. Once all the mince is browned, set aside. Don’t wash the pan, we want all those lovely brown bits from the bottom & sides! In the same pan (keeping the heat high) add the pancetta and fry until golden and crisp but not ‘crispy’. Turn down the heat & add garlic, celery, onion and carrot and sweat down for about 5 minutes. Return the mince to the pan, give everything a good stir and slather with tomato puree. Shake in a good few glugs of the neat stock, then add the wine and tinned tomatoes. Add a bay leaf or two and as many herbs as you wish. I still think a good dose of dried mixed herbs & fresh thyme works excellently. Don’t bother with soft herbs at this stage, they will get totally lost. Season with tons of black pepper to give the whole mixture depth. As soon as the mixture begins to bubble, cover (leaving a little space for steam to escape) and turn the heat down to the lowest point possible so that the whole thing barely quivers and reduces. You’ll need at least an hour for this, two if you have the time and it will taste even better if you can leave it to cool overnight to marinade.
On a high heat add a splash of olive oil in a heavy bottomed pan & brown the mince in batches to avoid creating steam. I’m not a fan of non-stick pans, they tend to take forever to heat up and if not hot enough the meat will steam, which is not what you want here. Don’t add any salt at this stage, it will create too much moisture, plus we’re adding more complex saltiness from the pancetta and chicken stock. Once all the mince is browned, set aside. Don’t wash the pan, we want all those lovely brown bits from the bottom & sides! In the same pan (keeping the heat high) add the pancetta and fry until golden and crisp but not ‘crispy’. Turn down the heat & add garlic, celery, onion and carrot and sweat down for about 5 minutes. Return the mince to the pan, give everything a good stir and slather with tomato puree. Shake in a good few glugs of the neat stock, then add the wine and tinned tomatoes. Add a bay leaf or two and as many herbs as you wish. I still think a good dose of dried mixed herbs & fresh thyme works excellently. Don’t bother with soft herbs at this stage, they will get totally lost. Season with tons of black pepper to give the whole mixture depth. As soon as the mixture begins to bubble, cover (leaving a little space for steam to escape) and turn the heat down to the lowest point possible so that the whole thing barely quivers and reduces. You’ll need at least an hour for this, two if you have the time and it will taste even better if you can leave it to cool overnight to marinade.
Courgette Layering
Create as many ribbons as you can using a vegetable peeler. The wider (not thicker) the better. Add the whole lot to a pan of boiling water and cook for no more that 2 minutes. Drain and create the first layer of your lasagne with the courgette ribbons. No need for neatness, just a good covering is all you need.
Create as many ribbons as you can using a vegetable peeler. The wider (not thicker) the better. Add the whole lot to a pan of boiling water and cook for no more that 2 minutes. Drain and create the first layer of your lasagne with the courgette ribbons. No need for neatness, just a good covering is all you need.
Béchamel Sauce
Melt the butter in a saucepan, remove from heat and add the flour a little at a time, beating the hell of the mixture each time to avoid lumps. Start adding the milk, again a little at a time and beating to avoid lumps. Grate in a little bit of whole nutmeg, add a bay leaf and pepper and return to the heat. Add grated cheese and remove from the heat as soon as it has melted.
Once your mince is cooked, add a generous layer on top of the courgette ribbons, pour on the
béchamel and place fresh basil leaves on top. Add another layer of
courgette and repeat.
Top with a third layering of courgette topped with béchamel, fresh basil and lots of grated parmesan. Bake at 180 degrees for about 35 minutes or until golden brown and piping hot.
Serve with a green salad with spring onion, cucumber and avocado in a lemon and olive dressing and scoff.
