Servings : Serves 4-6
A classic luxurious and hearty Lasagna, packed with meat sauce, white sauce and lots of cheese!
Ingredients for Meat Sauce
- 500 gm beef mince (you can use chicken or lamb mince if you like)
- 4 onions, chopped
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 8 fresh tomatoes, blended until smooth
- 4 tbsp tomato paste/puree
- 2 tbsp tomato sauce/ketchup
- 1 green or red capsicum, chopped
- 2-3 sausages, fried and chopped (optional, you can leave this out)
- 2-3 green chillies chopped
- 1 tsp sugar
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- chopped coriander
- oregano (optional)
- 4 tbsp oil
- chopped veggies like beans, peas, carrots, sweet corn (optional, or you can use any that you like and leave the rest out)
Ingredients for White Sauce
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp flour
- 4 cups milk
- salt to taste
- white pepper powder to taste (you can also use black pepper)
Other Ingredients
- 12 lasagna sheets (approximately)
- 2-3 cups grated mozzarella and cheddar cheese
- oregano (optional)
- chopped coriander (optional)
Instructions
First, prepare the Meat Sauce
Heat oil, then add the onions and fry until soft and translucent. Add the ginger and garlic pastes, and when they release their aroma, add the mince and sprinkle some black pepper over it and fry whilst breaking the bits of mince so that there are no lumps until the mince changes colour to brown.
Now add the capsicum, green chillies and veggies, and sprinkle the spices of your choice (I normally add a pinch of turmeric and a tsp. of cumin powder) fry them with the mince for a few minutes, then add the chopped sausages if you’re using them, tomato paste and blended tomatoes. Cook on low heat, whilst covered, until the sauce thickens, and the mince is ready then add the ketchup, sugar and adjust salt and chilli. Sprinkle some oregano if you have it, or a bit of garam masala, squeeze the lemon juice in and sprinkle some chopped coriander, then turn off the heat. This sauce should not be dry, it should be saucy.
Next, prepare the White Sauce
Melt butter in a saucepan, stir in plain flour, then cook on low heat for 5 minutes. Cooking the flour in the butter helps reduce the ‘raw’ smell of the flour so don’t skip this step! Slowly whisk in milk, if you pour the milk in too quickly you will form lumps, so add gradually whilst whisking briskly to get rid of any lumps and form a smooth roux/mixture. Then bring to the boil, whilst stirring. Turn down heat, then cook until the sauce starts to thicken and coats the back of a wooden spoon.
Prepare your lasagna sheets, about 12 should be enough. Check if they need to be boiled first, or if they can be used as is. It is normally indicated on the carton. If they need to be boiled, follow the instructions on the pack and proceed to boil them for the time specified. Keep some shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese ready, my favorite combination!
Finally, assemble the dish
Grease a baking dish with some butter, then add a bit of white sauce (to prevent your lasagna from sticking to the dish), followed by some lasagna sheets. Try to avoid overlapping, you can break the lasagna sheets to fit your dish. Now pour some meat sauce, followed by white sauce and some cheese. Again add a layer of lasagna sheets, again the meat sauce and once more cover with the white sauce. You can add a third layer if your dish is deep enough. Make sure the final layer is covered with white sauce and you can sprinkle some cheese on top, and some chopped coriander and oregano if you like.
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 C for about 40 minutes. If the top is browning too quickly, then cover it with some foil and continue baking. Once ready, remove and let it sit for about 10-15 minutes before cutting into the lasagna. This will ensure that your cuts will be neat and tidy.
Enjoy your yummy lasagna!! 🙂
asalam fauzia,
I just realized i run out of flour, can i omit or replace it with corn flour if possible?
W/Salaam, yes that is fine.
Hi, everytime I make this dish when I serve it they always fall apart, what am I doing wrong?
Hi, are you making any changes to the recipe or ingredients? What type of cheese are you using?
Grated asda cheese 🙁
what else can you use witout lasagna sheets……. becoz thats not available here….
Any flat pasta. You need lasagna sheets to make lasagna. Otherwise it would just be a pasta bake dish. 🙂
on the final layer of lasagna sheets, if i just put cheese and no white sauce, is it ok?
Yes that is fine.
My white sauce wasn’t thickening? And it went Brownish even though I had it on low for five mins?
Did you by any chance burn the butter or the flour? It should not turn brown unless that has happened….
Thank you for replying, yes I think that’s what happened but everyone loved it so thank you for sharing 🙂
Do you wash your minced meat. I don’t feel like using without washing and yet when you wash so much water remains in it.
Yes I do, unless the recipe specifies not to (then also I wash the meat before mincing). To make sure all the excess water has drained out, place the mince on a strainer with a bowl underneath to catch the drippings and cover with a plate. You can even stick this into the fridge so the meat does not get spoilt by being left out too long. Leave it that way until every last drop of water drains out, normally it takes about an hour at the most.
Jazakum Allah Hayr
can i replace lasagna sheets wth sambusa sheets?
No the lasagna sheets are very different from samosa sheets.
Salams..first i want to say that your recipees are great mashaAllah..can i use macaroni for this recipee instead of lasagna sheets?
W/Salaam, yes you can.
i don’t like white sauce so what if i do not add white sauce????
Yes that is fine.
Asalaam Alaikum, Fauzia 🙂
I plan on making this for dinner tonight and it’ll be my first try at making Lasagna. I just have one confusion about the baking time. I recently got a fan-assisted electric oven and from what I’ve read, these ovens usually cook pretty fast. I’m not sure if you have any experience with electric ovens but could you recommend a baking time for this kind of oven? Or is the cooking better if I use it without the fan?
Also, I got the Bechamel Mix for the white sauce. Could I use that instead or should I just go with your white sauce recipe?
Thanks alot, sister Fauzia! 🙂
W/Salaam, my oven is electric and fan-assisted too. The same temperature works just fine for me, if you have any concerns you can reduce the temperature by 10 degrees (not more than that). Baking time should be about the same but you can check around 5-10 minutes earlier and if your lasagna is done you can take it out sooner. I prefer making the white sauce from scratch, it tends to taste better and doesn’t take long to prepare. 🙂
hey fauzia…aoa,
hey fauzia…aoa,
just a quick question…i got the lasagna sheets…but when i came home i discovered that they are instant lasagna sheets…and its written no precooking required and one shud put them directly in the oven..do u think they will work or do i need to buy new ones..???
Hi, those are fine, just dip
Hi, those are fine, just dip them in hot water for about a minute or two, even though it says they are instant. That will help soften them enough so that they absorb moisture properly and cook nicely during baking.
Do u get these sheet in uk ..
Do u get these sheet in uk … In pasta section plz let me know sister
Yes they are easily available
Yes they are easily available in the UK.
Can i make lasgna wirh out
Can i make lasgna wirh out oven
Yes you can, use the stove
Yes you can, use the stove top method.
can we use Pyrex dish in
can we use Pyrex dish in stone oven or pan stand oven???
You can if it is a heatproof
You can if it is a heatproof good quality pyrex. If you are unsure then do not risk it.
Salam Fauzia
Salam Fauzia
I have waitrose lasagnia red sauce without meat in it. For the quantity of meat specified in this recipe, how much sauce should I use?
thanks
W/Salaam, sorry I do not know
W/Salaam, sorry I do not know that sauce so am not sure how much of it would be enough.
Thankyou for the recipe.. i
Thankyou for the recipe.. i really love your recipes..i have one question for the lasagna. The box of lasagna i have says that after arranging the lasagna sheets you have to put 2 tblspn water and than the meat sauce and white sauce.
is it necessary to put the water?
Thanks Zahra! Different
Thanks Zahra! Different brands of lasagna have different instructions. I would not like to add water between the lasagna sheets but then if that is what the box indicates then maybe you should try it once before altering. You could pre-boil them for just a few minutes or make the meat sauce a bit saucier to compensate for the water if you are hesitant about adding water in the recipe.
I have a quick question.
I have a quick question.
Can I make the lasagna and set it in the plate and keep in the fridge, but bake it the next day? Will the taste or texture change?Please let me know. thanks
That is fine, it will be ok.
That is fine, it will be ok.