1 week Ago By Melanie Kaidan
Mary Berry’s super-quick take on the traditional Italian lasagne is “wonderfully different” but still packed with loads of flavour. The veteran baker swaps the usual mozzarella topping for a layer of mature Cheddar to add her own personal touch to it. When made according to the instructions, this dish takes just 30 minutes to prepare, with an additional 30 minutes to one hour cooking time.
Sharing this recipe from the TV star’s cookbook ‘ Mary Berry 's Absolute Favourites’ online, the BBC stated: “ Mary Berry 's wonderfully different take on lasagne is super quick, perfect for a midweek supper.” Use a shallow 21⁄4 litre ovenproof dish measuring about 30x20cm/12x8in and 6cm/21⁄2in deep for six delicious servings. Ingredients Butter for greasing Six large dried lasagne sheets 75g mature Cheddar cheese, grated For the pork and spinach sauce One tbsp oil 450g pork sausage meat One tbsp plain flour One red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped Two fat garlic cloves, crushed 250g/9oz chestnut mushrooms, sliced 200ml full-fat crème fraîche 100g baby spinach, roughly chopped salt and freshly ground black pepper For the tomato sauce 500g passata Two tbsp sun-dried tomato paste One tsp light muscovado sugar One tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves One tbsp chopped fresh sage Method Preheat your oven to 200C (or 180C for fan-assisted ovens) or Gas Mark six.
Lightly grease an ovenproof dish with some butter. Place the lasagne sheets in a dish of recently boiled hot water to soften while you prepare the two sauces. For the pork and spinach sauce, heat the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan.
Add the sausage meat and cook on high heat for five to 10 minutes, stirring frequently with two wooden spoons to break up the meat, until it turns golden brown. Sprinkle in the flour and cook for another minute, stirring constantly. Add the chilli, garlic, and mushrooms to the pan, then cook for around five minutes.
Stir in the crème fraîche and spinach, bring the mixture to a boil, and let it bubble for a couple of minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper, then remove from the heat and set aside. To make the tomato sauce, combine all the ingredients in a jug or bowl, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Drain the lasagne sheets thoroughly. To assemble the dish, spoon a third of the spinach sauce into the bottom of the prepared ovenproof dish. Follow with a third of the tomato sauce and then half of the lasagne sheets, arranging them evenly over the tomato sauce.
Repeat the layering process with the remaining spinach and tomato sauces, followed by the last layer of lasagne sheets. Finally, sprinkle the grated cheese over the top. Place the dish in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked through, and the top is golden-brown and bubbling around the edges.
Serve hot..
