Ingredients
Tomato-based Sauce
4 onions, diced
30ml olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons mixed herbs
1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional)
3 tins (400g each) crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ cup water
Freshly cracked black pepper
Spinach Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 onions, diced
400g de-stemmed, chopped spinach
500g Ricotta Cheese
Salt and pepper
Lasagne
16 pieces lasagne
500g Mascarpone cheese, whipped
120g Parmesan, grated
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
Method: Tomato-based sauce
- In a large pot, heat the oil and once hot, add the onions. Sauté until soft. Now add the garlic and mixed herbs and cook for another 2 minutes, being careful not to let the garlic burn.
- Add the tomato paste and cook for another minute or so.
- Add the tinned tomatoes, sugar, salt, water and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Allow to simmer on the stove top for an hour to an hour and a half to develop flavours and for the sharpness of the tomatoes to soften and sweeten.
- Set aside.
Method: Spinach Sauce
- In a medium to large frying pan, heat the oil and once hot, add the onions and allow to sauté until soft.
- In the meantime, steam the spinach in a double boiler until cooked (only takes a few minutes) or microwave in a covered container for 2-3 minutes. Drain the liquid and add to the onions. Add the ricotta cheese, salt and pepper to taste and mix through.
- Using a handheld blender, blend until the spinach and ricotta mixture is relatively smooth and spreadable.
Method: Layering Lasagne
- In a medium-sized lasagne dish or rectangular ovenproof dish, add a layer of the tomato sauce followed by half the Parmesan then a layer of lasagne.
- Add a layer of spinach sauce, topped with a third of the mascarpone and then another lasagne layer.
- Add another layer of spinach sauce and another third mascarpone and another layer of lasagne.
- Now add a thin layer of tomato sauce, a layer of lasagne and then the remaining tomato sauce and another third mascarpone. Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan.
- Cook for 30-35 minutes at 180°C until the lasagne is soft and the top is beautifully golden.