Beef-Spinach-Lasagna

For a change, we go italian today and I prepared Beef-Spinach-Lasagne.  This dish is easy to prepare and tastes delicious!  A pleasant change from the usual tomato-bolognese sauce!  One can use the instant Bechamel Sauce which are readily available in supermarkets or make your own! This recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:

500 g frozen spinach, to be thawed

1 clove garlic

300 g tomatoes

250 g Mozzarella (Italian cheese)

salt and pepper

3 tbsp olive oil

500 g minced beef

1 packet (250 ml) Béchamelsauce (instant)

100 ml fresh cream

9 pre-cooked lasagne noodle pieces (note:  there is no need to pre-cook them cos they are easily available in the supermarkets.  Just make sure that you get the pre-cooked ones.)

Method: 

Preheat oven to 220º C (Fan:  200º C, Gas:  3 - 4).  Squeeze out the water from thawed spinach and chop into big cubes.  Peel and mince the garlic.  Cut the tomatoes into medium-sized cubes and season with salt and pepper.  Slice the mozzarella into thin slices and season with salt and pepper.

Heat olive oil in a big casserole pan and stir-fry the minced meat until the water dries up.  Add minced garlic, Béchamelsauce and cream.  Stir well and then add the spinach.  Bring to boil and season to taste.  Once ready, set it aside.

Butter a rectangular pyrex dish or casserole (22 X 28 cm).  Spread some beef sauce on the base before placing 3 pieces of lasagne on top.  Add half of the meat sauce on the lasagne and spread them evenly.  Then, add the cubed tomatoes and spread them evenly.

Place a second layer of lasagne pieces on top and repeat the procedure, saving a little beef sauce for topping.  Lastly, add a third layer of lasagne pieces and spread some beef sauce before arranging the mozarella on top.

Bake the lasagne on the first rack from bottom for about 25 – 30 minutes.  Cool the lasagne for about 10 minutes before serving.

Note:  If you would like to make your own Bechamel Sauce, the recipe is as follows:

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, to be peeled and finely diced

25 g butter or margarine

20 g flour

250 ml milk

125 ml instant stock (cube)

Method:

Melt butter or margarine in a pot over medium heat and add diced onion.  Stir in flour and cook until flour is pale yellow in colour.  Add milk and whisk well until there are no lumps.  Bring to boil and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  

Bon Appetit!