Garfield's Favourite Food.

At GT's request, i made lasagna tonight. Lasagna, you think, would be pretty easy right? Minced beef, tomato sauce, couples layers of pasta and tons of cheese. Sounds simple enough right? Well, apparently it isn't so simple. At least not for me the first time i tried it.

About a year ago i thought i would be adventurous and make lasagna, having eaten it a million times at cafes. After couple hours of preparing the ingredients and slogging in the kitchen, it was finally put into the oven as we eagerly waited for it to be done, appetites whetted by the aroma of the lasagna baking. So when it was finally done, we cut into it and piled it onto our plates. already tasting the heavenly lasagna. Well, let's just say, after the first forkful of lasagna, we were all laughing so hard it took us a while before we could continue with the rest of the meal, painfully. The lasagna was way too sweet. I was sure my sugar level was sky high after that meal. It was that bad. On hindsight, i should have smelt a rat with the recipe (tomato sauce and sugar?) but it did get a good laugh out of us. And yes, GT still teases me about it :)

So after that "incident", you could see why i was a little cautious when asked to make lasagna. God bless his soul for trusting me again where lasagna is concerned. So off i went, scurrying all over the internet in search of a decent recipe.


Thankfully, i pulled it off this time i think, if his polishing off four servings says anything. This was pretty easy to make although there is quite a bit of stirring by the stove. The minced beef and vegetables are first cooked in milk and then white wine, locking in both flavour and moisture in the meat. With the meat mixture layered between pasta sheets and topped with three different kinds of cheese, this was one hell of a lasagna.

Hopefully this means we can put my sweet lasagna episode behind us now :)

Lasagna [adapted from here and here]


Ingredients
2 chorizos, roughly chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 brown onion, finely minced
3 handfuls of grated carrots
500g minced beef, seasoned with salt and black pepper
1 cup milk
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 can (400g) of diced tomatos
1 small tub of tomato paste
A pinch of nutmeg

2 egg yolks
50g grated parmesan cheese
200g ricotta
Pinch of nutmeg

6 large lasagna pasta sheets
1 cup tasty cheese, grated

1. Preheat oven at 200C. Grease a 9 inch square baking dish and set aside.
2. In a large pot, cook chorizos, onion, garlic and carrots over medium heat till softened. Add minced beef to mixture, cooking till browned.
   
3. Increasing heat to high, add milk and nutmeg. Allow milk to evaporate, stirring frequently. Add wine, allow to evaporate as well over high heat, stirring frequently.
   
4. Add diced tomatoes and tomato sauce, mixing well. Season to taste and simmer over low heat till sauce thickens.
   
5. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, ricotta, parmesan, nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper. Combine well and refrigerate till ready to use.
6. Dividing sauce into three portions, spread one portion over the bottom of baking dish. Top with 2 pasta sheets, overlapping them slightly. Spread another portion of the sauce and crumble half of ricotta mixture over sauce. Top again with 2 pasta sheets and repeat with remaining sauce and ricotta mixture. Top with remaining pasta sheets and generously sprinkle tasty cheese.
7. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, covering baking dish with foil if cheese browns too quickly. Allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving. Serves 6