Healthiest-ever Lasagna
Lasagna is everybody’s favourite cold-weather meal, but it can be very high in fat, especially if store-bought. This version includes plenty of fresh vegetables and lean ground beef in its scrumptious filling, making it a healthy option. Serve with a crisp green salad.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
350 grams (3⁄4 lb) lean ground beef
150 grams (5 oz) button mushrooms, chopped
1 1⁄4 cup diluted salt-reduced or homemade beef stock
2⁄3 cup red wine
398 ml can chopped tomatoes
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano or mixed herbs
1⁄4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
10 instant lasagna sheets
1⁄3 cup grated aged cheddar cheese sauce
1⁄4 cup cornstarch
2 1⁄2 cups 1% milk
Pinch of grated nutmeg
1. To make the meat sauce, heat the oil in a large pot over a low heat. Add the onion and fry gently for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the carrots, celery and garlic and cook, stirring, for a further 5 minutes until the onion is soft and just beginning to colour.
2. Turn up the heat a little, then add the ground beef and cook, stirring and breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned and crumbly. Add the mushrooms and cook for 1 more minute. Add the stock, wine, tomatoes with their juice, tomato paste and dried herbs and stir together thoroughly. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover with a lid and gently simmer over a low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the parsley and season to taste.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). To make the sauce, mix the cornstarch to a smooth paste with a little of the milk in a small bowl. Heat the remaining milk to boiling point in a pot, then pour some of it onto the cornstarch mixture, stirring well. Return this to the milk in the pot. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sauce thickens, then simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in the grated nutmeg and season to taste.
4. Spoon half the meat sauce over the base of a 3 litre ovenproof dish or roasting pan. Cover with half the lasagna sheets, then spoon over the remaining meat sauce and cover with another layer of pasta. Pour over the white sauce to cover the lasagna completely. Scatter the grated cheddar cheese over the top of the lasagna.
5. Place the dish on a baking tray and bake for about 45 minutes until the lasagna is bubbling and the top is lightly browned. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
Serves 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time about: 1 3⁄4 hours
Tip: You can prepare the lasagna ahead of time up until the end of step 4, then refrigerate or freeze. If you freeze it, thaw it before baking. You may need to add 10 minutes to the cooking time in step 5.
Per serving: 665 calories, 24.5 g fat (8 g saturated), 43 g protein, 60 g carbohydrate, 7.5 g fibre
.teaser.jpg)
