Dining Out Lifestyle

Fall more in love with lasagne

ONE of Australia’s leading food editors and best-selling cookbook authors, Donna Hay has offered these three amazing recipes for lasagne.

Ricotta, pea and prosciutto skillet lasagnes

Ingredients (serves 4)
2 cups (280g) frozen baby peas, thawed
1.5 cups (360g) firm light ricotta
1/4 cup (60ml) milk
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
1.5 teaspoons sea salt flakes
cracked black pepper
8 green lentil lasagne sheets
100g cavolo nero (Tuscan kale), trimmed
4 slices prosciutto
1/4 cup mint leaves
extra virgin olive oil, to serve

Method
Preheat oven to 200C (400F). Place the peas in a large bowl and use a fork to roughly crush. Set aside.
Place the ricotta, milk, lemon rind, salt and pepper in a large bowl and stir well to combine.
Cook the lasagne sheets in a large saucepan of salted boiling water for 4–5 minutes or until partially cooked. Set aside.
Place 2 lasagne sheets in the base of a 2-cup-capacity (500ml) skillet. Top with one-quarter of the cavolo nero, one-quarter of the ricotta mixture, and one-quarter of the peas. Repeat once more and top with 2 slices of prosciutto. Repeat with a second skillet and the remaining ingredients.
Place the skillets on an oven tray and cook for 15–20 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Top with the mint and drizzle with oil to serve.

Cauliflower and sweet potato lasagne with roast garlic cauliflower bechamel

Ingredients (serves 4)
700g sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1cm cubes
1 bulb garlic
sea salt and cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1kg cauliflower florets
1 bunch sage
1/3 cup (25g) finely grated parmesan
1 3/4 cups (430ml) milk
6 dried wholemeal lasagne sheets, halved
1/2 cup (50g) grated mozzarella

Method
Preheat oven to 200C (400F). Place the sweet potato, garlic, salt, pepper and half the oil on a large oven tray. Toss to combine. Place the cauliflower, sage, salt, pepper and remaining oil on a separate large oven tray and toss to combine. Place both trays in the oven and cook for 30 minutes or until the sweet potato and cauliflower are golden and tender.
Place 2 cups of the cauliflower in a large bowl. Slice off the top of the garlic and squeeze the cloves into the bowl. Add the parmesan, milk and salt and, using a hand-held blender, blend until smooth and creamy.
Cook the lasagne sheets in a large saucepan of salted boiling water for 4–5 minutes or until partially cooked. Set aside.
Layer the lasagne sheets with the sweet potato, cauliflower and cauliflower bechamel in an 8-cup-capacity (2 litre) baking dish, repeating the layers until all the ingredients are used. Top with the mozzarella. Place the dish on an oven tray and cook for 30 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Serve.

Roast tomato, basil and haloumi lasagne

Ingredients (serves 4)
850g vine-ripened cherry tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and cracked black pepper
1 cup basil leaves
3 bunches (800g) English spinach leaves, roughly chopped
8 dried wholemeal lasagne sheets
100g grated mozzarella
200g haloumi, thinly sliced
basil pesto, to serve

Method
Preheat oven to 200C (400F). Remove the vines from 600g of the tomatoes and place the loose tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper in an 8-cup-capacity (2 litre) baking dish. Cook for 15 minutes or until the tomatoes are softened.
Place the cooked tomatoes, basil and spinach into a large bowl and toss gently to combine and wilt the spinach.
While the tomatoes are cooking, cook the lasagne sheets in a large saucepan of salted boiling water for 4–5 minutes or until partially cooked. Set aside.
To assemble, place 2 lasagne sheets in the base of the baking dish. Top with one-third of the tomato mixture and one-third of the mozzarella. Repeat twice, finishing with the remaining lasagne sheets.
Top with the haloumi and remaining tomatoes on the vine. Cook for 15–20 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Top with pesto to serve.