Nathan’s Lasagne

Ingredients

Pasta Sheets

• • 275g plain flour (or fancy-white/pasta-specific/bakers/etc)
  • 50g plain flour (extra for dusting)
  • 3 large eggs
  • Pinch salt (to taste)

Bolognese Sauce

• • 1tblspn oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 6-12 large garlic cloves, freshly minced
  • 300g middle bacon, diced
  • 1Kg beef mince
  • ~30g dry herbs (e.g. basil, oregano, parsley)
  • ~50g fresh herbs (e.g. basil, oregano, parsley), fresh chopped
  • 50-100ml red wine
  • 1 qtr. lime
  • 50g tomato paste
  • 800ml tomatoes, diced

Bechamel Sauce

• • 50g butter (or margarine/spread¹)
  • 50g plain flour
  • 50g sheep’s cheese (broken up as fine and dry as possible)
  • 750ml oat milk (or milk¹)

Extras for Baking

• 1tblspn butter or oil
• 50-100g sheep’s cheese (broken up as fine and dry as possible)

¹ Bechamel will thicken much quicker if using cow-based ingredients, but will still work without.

Method

Pasta Sheets

1. 1. Wash and dry hands well.
   2. Place flour in a pile on a large, clean, hard surface with a large well in the centre.
   3. Crack eggs into the well, sprinkle salt on top.
   4. Gently beat eggs with a fork, slowly adding surrounding flour.
   5. Continue incorporating all the flour using fingers until you have a big sticky mess that you could not possibly imagine would form a clean ball of pasta. If dough is not too sticky, add a tablespoon of water.
   6. Form a clean ball of pasta by kneading and squelching until it magically stops being a sticky mess.
   7. Keep kneading, stretching and folding dough for about 10 minutes or until dough is smooth and soft.
   8. Form a ball, wrap in cling-wrap and place in fridge for 1 hour.
   9. Remove from fridge and break into ~4 equal portions.
   10. With each portion roll, turn and fold with a rolling pin, dusting with flour, until the dough is a consistent 1mm thickness throughout.
   11. Use a pastry wheel or knife to cut sheets into your preferred rectangular size.
   12. Leave out to dry (perhaps cover with tea-towel and/or dust with more flour) for at least 30 minutes but preferably overnight.

Bolognese Sauce

1. 1. Heat large saucepan to a medium heat and add oil.
   2. Brown onions and garlic.
   3. Turn to medium-high heat and add diced bacon and cook until the fat softens.
   4. Add mince and cook until brown.
   5. Reduce heat to medium and sprinkle and combine dry then fresh herbs.
   6. Add wine and reduce, followed by the juice of the lime.
   7. Add tomato paste and combine until there is an even consistency.
   8. Add tomatoes, combine and simmer, stirring regularly.

Prep for Oven

1. 1. Preheat oven to 180°.
   2. Grease glass baking dish using extra butter or oil.

Bechamel Sauce

1. 1. In a small saucepan on low heat, gently melt butter.
   2. In small batches and removing from heat where necessary, combine butter with flour until a smooth yellow paste (a rue!) is formed.
   3. In small batches, combine sheep’s cheese. Try to minimise lumps, but you can’t be perfect.
   4. In small batches, add oat milk and combine thoroughly, then stir often until mix becomes thick and viscous.
   5. Keep on very low heat until ready to use.

Combine Parts and Bake

1. Keep regularly stirring Bolognese until thick and consistent (usually around 40 minutes total).
2. Add a thin layer of Bolognese to the floor of the baking dish, then cover with pasta sheets followed by ~1/4 of the Bechamel sauce. Ensure that the pasta sheets are completely and generously covered in Bechamel, using extra if you must.
3. Repeat layers twice more, using remaining Bolognese and Bechamel on top layer.
4. Sprinkle extra sheep’s cheese on top.
5. Bake for 40 minutes.