Recipe by Ryan Pinto
Ingredients:
For the meat sauce:
extra virgin olive oil (or any vegetable oil)
500 gms beef mince
2 medium onions/1 cup (diced)
1/2 large green, red, or yellow bell pepper/ about 3/4 cup (diced)
5 cloves garlic (minced)
800 gms tomato sauce (I used Funfoods Pasta & Pizza Sauce)
3 tbsp tomato paste
400 gms crushed tomatoes with skin (can used canned)
2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano or 2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (preferably flat leaf), packed or chopped coriander leaves
1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
a pinch of garlic powder and/or garlic salt
1 tbsp red or white wine vinegar
1 tbsp to 1/4 cup sugar (to taste, optional)
salt
parmesan *(Optional)
To assemble the lasagna:
200 gms elbow pasta
125 gms mature cheddar grated (If its Indian cheddar, it tends to be under seasoned. I found adding some salt tends to bring out the flavour better)
125g mozzarella cheese (grated or sliced)
Steps:
Ingredients:
For the meat sauce:
extra virgin olive oil (or any vegetable oil)
500 gms beef mince
2 medium onions/1 cup (diced)
1/2 large green, red, or yellow bell pepper/ about 3/4 cup (diced)
5 cloves garlic (minced)
800 gms tomato sauce (I used Funfoods Pasta & Pizza Sauce)
3 tbsp tomato paste
400 gms crushed tomatoes with skin (can used canned)
2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano or 2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (preferably flat leaf), packed or chopped coriander leaves
1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
a pinch of garlic powder and/or garlic salt
1 tbsp red or white wine vinegar
1 tbsp to 1/4 cup sugar (to taste, optional)
salt
parmesan *(Optional)
To assemble the lasagna:
200 gms elbow pasta
125 gms mature cheddar grated (If its Indian cheddar, it tends to be under seasoned. I found adding some salt tends to bring out the flavour better)
125g mozzarella cheese (grated or sliced)
Steps:
- Put a large pot of salted water (2 tbsp salt) on the stovetop on high heat. It can take a while for a large pot of water to come to a boil (this will be your pasta water), so prepare the sauce in the next steps while the water is heating.
- Wash the beef to remove any the metallic taste and smell. Tightly squeeze to remove any excess liquid. This will help with browning and crisping.
Preparing the meat sauce: - In a large skillet heat 2 tsp oil on medium high heat.
- Add the ground beef, after breaking them into smaller portions and cook until it is lightly browned on all sides. Remove the beef with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Drain off all but a tablespoon of fat.
- Add the diced bell pepper and onions to skillet. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent, and the peppers softened.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for half a minute more.
- Return the browned ground beef to the pan. Stir to combine, reduce the heat to low and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Transfer the beef mixture to a medium sized pot.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste to the pot.
- Add the parsley, oregano, and Italian seasonings, adjusting the amounts to taste. Sprinkle with garlic powder and/or garlic salt, to taste.
- Sprinkle with red or white wine vinegar.
- Stir in sugar, a tablespoon at a time, tasting after each addition, to taste. (The amount of sugar needed will vary depending on how acidic the tomatoes that you are using are.)
- Bring the sauce to a simmer and then lower the heat to maintain a low simmer. Cook for one and a half hour, stirring often. This will help the flavours to blend and dull the sour notes from the tomatoes. Scrape the bottom of the pot every so often so nothing sticks to the bottom and scorches.
Boil and drain the pasta: - By now the salted water you started heating in step one should be boiling. Add the dry pasta and cook them to al dente, per package directions. Don’t worry if they end up overcooking.
- Add a bit of oil and stir often to prevent from sticking. Make sure that water remains at a full rolling boil during the entire cooking to prevent noodles from sticking. When ready, drain in a colander and rinse with cool water, gently separating any pasta that may be sticking together.
- Heat the oven to 200C.
Assemble the Pasta - In a 9/13 casserole dish, ladle a cup of sauce and spread it over the bottom of the dish. Arrange one layer of pasta over the sauce. Ladle another layer of the sauce over the pasta.
- Sprinkle a layer of the grated mozzarella on top of lasagna sauce. Add a layer of the cheddar on top.
- If the dish is large enough, you can apply a second layer of the pasta, top it with half of the remaining sauce. Add the remaining mozzarella, the remaining cheddar, and can top with parmesan if desired.
- Cover the pan with aluminum foil, tented slightly so it doesn't touch the pasta or sauce.
- Bake at 200C for 45 minutes with both, the the top and bottom grills on. Uncover in the last 10 minutes if you'd like more of a crusty top or edges with only the top grill on.
- Allow the pasta to cool at least 15 before serving.
- ENJOY!
- Leftovers can keep for about 5 days. May be reheated in a conventional oven or microwave. Leave aluminum tent on for storage.
- Special equipment:
- 9x13 casserole dish, preferably pyrex or stainless steel (avoid aluminum pans if you can, they can react with the acidity of the sauce)
- a couple large sheet pans to cool the noodles