Lasagna Recipe
Layers of melting cheese, veal & pork mince along with a velvety rich tomato sauce make up my favourite Lasagna recipe with porcini mushrooms. This rustic Lasagna Recipe is simple to make and bursting with flavour. My secret weapon of porcini mushrooms might be a twist on the traditional recipe, but it will melt in your mouth.
Watch video recipe:
Ingredients:
1 x celery branch (chopped into cubes)
1 x carrot (chopped into cubes)
¼ onion, or 1/2 if it is small (chopped into small pieces)
500g Lasagna sheets
Vincenzo's Plate Tip: Lasagna sheets should be good quality and I prefer the ones you use that you don't need to pre-cook because you can put them straight into the oven. Of course fresh lasagna sheets would be even better!
1 x packet of dried porcini mushrooms
700g mixed veal and pork mince
150g diced dry mozzarella
1 x fresh mozzarella (fior di latte)
1 x large piece of Parmigiano Reggiano (you can also buy this already grated if you like)
2 pinches of mixed dried herbs
Extra virgin olive oil
1 Litre of Amazing Tomato Sauce
Utensil:
1 x large deep saucepan
1 x rectangular non-stick baking tray
1 x knife
1 x wooden spoon
1 x grater
1 x small bowl
Method:
1.Preheat your oven to 180C degrees.
2.Add water to your kettle and boil it.
3.Place the porcini mushrooms in a bowl and pour hot water over them. Not too much, but they should be almost covered.
4.Place the saucepan on the stove at a medium heat and add 4-5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
5.Add onion, carrot and celery and mix with a wooden spoon. Leave to simmer until onion browns.
6.Slice 4 pieces of the dry mozzarella and then cut them into small cubes.
7.Now that the onion has browned, add the mince, breaking it up first with your hands and then once you have added it all, break it up more with a wooden spoon.
8.The meat will start to brown and once it is half cooked, add the porcini mushrooms, along with the water they have been in and combine. Make sure you strain the water as the mushrooms might have some residue.
9.Once the meat has almost finished cooking, break it down a little more with the spoon and add the passata/fresh tomato puree.
10.Let this simmer, and add fresh basil leaves, breaking them into smaller pieces using your hands.
11.Add 2 x pinches of dried mixed herbs.
12.Leave this on the stove for at least 10 minutes.
13.Now cut the Fior di latte into slices, and then into small cubes.
14.Using a non stick baking tray, line the base with a touch of sauce and meat, being careful not to pour it in or smother it.
15.Add a layer of fresh lasagna sheets, completely covering the base and not leaving any gaps.
16.Line the top of the pasta sheets with sauce and meat, this time using a generous amount and covering each one.
17.Add lots of cubes of both dry and fresh mozzarella, covering the sauce and getting into each corner.
18.Grate a generous amount of Parmigiano Reggiano over the top and then begin a new layer.
19.Start by lining up another set of lasagna sheets and repeat each step as above.
20.Once you grate the parmigiano over the top, add another set of lasagne sheets then smother it with the left over sauce and this time only add the dry mozzarella and grated Permigiano.
21.Cover the tray with alfoil and place it in the oven.
22.After it has been in the oven for 20 minutes, remove the foil carefully and let it cook for another 10 minutes uncovered so it becomes deliciously crispy on top.
Vincenzo's Plate Tip! If you are using fresh lasagna pasta sheets, your cooking time may be a little bit less.
How to serve:
1.Get a flat white plate and carefully slice the lasagna down the middle and divide it into squares. Lift each piece out of the tray using something like a spade and help it slide off with a long knife.
2.Of course if you are crazy about parmesan cheese, you can grate even more on top of this beautiful Lasagna Recipe
E ora si mangia, Vincenzo's Plate...Enjoy!
Make this Lasagna Recipe for a dinner party with friends. I suggest you to start the meal with this beautiful Caprese Salad