Hi All

My personal Lasagna recipe:

Originally on the back of a "Zafarelli" pack, modified
somewhat.

You'll need a lightly oiled lasagne baking dish,
approximately 325x225x50 mm or 13" x 9" x 2".

Ingredients

250 gm ( ½ lb) of lasagne sheets. Most no longer need
pre-cooking, but check the label just in case.
250 to 300 gms ( ½ to ¾ lb) grated mozzarella cheese.
Grated parmesan cheese.

Meat Sauce:

2 to 3 tablespoons Olive oil
2 chopped medium onions
125 gm ( ¼ lb) roughly chopped bacon or ham
250 to 300 gms ( ½ to ¾ lb) of minced (ground) beef
1 ½ cups water
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 x 400 gm (14 oz) undrained cans of peeled tomatoes, or
equivalent in ripe fresh tomatoes, chopped.
¼ cup tomato paste
salt, pepper to taste
1 teaspoon basil, 1 teaspoon oregano or chopped fresh
equivalent.

Bechamel Sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons plain flour
600 mls (1 pint) milk
½ teaspoon of grated nutmeg
salt, pepper to taste

Method, including meat fat reduction

In a large saucepan, gently fry the onion and bacon in a
little olive oil until onion is translucent and most of the
fat has rendered out of the bacon. Add the minced beef and
stir over moderate heat until the meat has browned and
seperated. Add the water and simmer for ten minutes. Reserve
the liquid by pouring through a strainer. Put the meat
aside, and store the liquid in the fridge to let the fat
rise to the top. Add an ice cube or two if you want to speed
the process up. Use a "fat/oil seperator" if you have one.

Gently fry the garlic in a little oil over moderate heat,
stirring until just browned. Add the chopped tomatoes with
their juice and bring to a slow simmer. Then add herbs and
seasoning. Simmer for 30 - 40 minutes, stirring
occasionally. Add just a little water if it starts to get
too thick.

Skim the fat from the reserved liquid and combine it with
the tomatoes and the reserved meat. Add the tomato paste and
simmer for another thirty minutes, stirring occasionally.

Now for the:
Bechamel sauce

Stir the flour and oil together over low heat. Increase the
heat slightly, and continue stirring while gradually adding
milk. Add the nutmeg and seasoning, continuing to stir until
the sauce is smooth and thick.

Assembly

Spread a thin layer of the meat sauce over the base of the
lasagne dish and cover with one layer of lasagne. Then
spread about 1/3 of the remaining meat sauce, followed by
1/3 of the bechamel sauce, and 1/3 of the mozzarella. Repeat
the lasagne/meat/bechamel/cheese process until you have
three layers. And remember it doesn't have to be perfect.
Liberally sprinkle the final cheese layer with grated
parmesan.

Bake in a moderate (180 C, 360 F) for about 40 minutes or
until cooked when tested with a skewer. If the top browns
too quickly, loosely cover with aluminium foil. Let stand
for 10 - 15 minutes before serving.

I cut it into 12 serves; non dieters/diabetics usually make
it 6 or 8.

Serve it with a side green salad. I freeze individual serves
in plastic containers for later use. When re-heating, add a
little water or chopped tomatoes and sprinkle some fresh
cheese on the top.

Calories per serve: 348
Protein..............15gms
Total fat............21gms (actually, less if you skim as
suggested)
Carbs................25gms (more than I thought when I
worked it out - it's the milk and tomatoes)
Fibre.................1gm

Cheers Alan, T2, Australia.
--
Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter.