I hadn’t made Lasagna in a while so I decided on my favourite Lasagna made with cottage cheese, except this time I decided to add sliced zucchini. It was creamy and delicious.
Ingredients:
Lasagna sheets
750 gr lean beef or lamb mine
1 large onion chopped
2 minced garlic cloves
1 medium carrot finely grated
2 cans crushed tomatoes
1 sachet tomato paste
1 tsp sugar
3-4 zucchini sliced lengthwise
1 bay leaf
1 tsp oregano
¼ tsp mixed Italian herbs
¼ tsp basil
½ tsp thyme
½ cup wine (or beef stock)
¼ tsp chili flakes
Cottage Cheese Filling
2 tubs cottage cheese 2 x 250 gr)
2 eggs
2 Tblsp parsley
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
½ cup parmesan cheese
TB chopped parsley
1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese
For the cheese sauce:
2 cups milk
3 TB butter
4 TB plain flour
Salt and pepper
Grated nutmeg
½ tsp mustard powder
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
½ cup parmesan cheese
Melt the butter and add the flour in a saucepan gradually add the milk.
Add all seasoning whisking continuously until the sauce thickens.
Add the cheese, turn off the heat and keep stirring till cheese melts.
Method
Preheat oven to 190 degrees
Heat olive oil, add onion and carrot. Stir till tender.
Add beef and garlic.
Stir with a fork until beef colour changes breaking up beef ensuring no clumps. Add canned tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine, salt, pepper, bay leaf and herbs. Simmer for 1 hours on low heat stirring occasionally.
Cheese Filling
Mix together Cottage cheese and eggs till combined
Add parmesan cheese, parsley, salt and pepper.
Pour a layer of meat sauce at bottom of baking dish.
Layer lasagna sheets making sure they don’t overlap.
Spread cottage cheese filling with a spatula, add zucchini slices, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, spoon meat sauce over.
Repeat layers ending with lasagna sheets, cheese sauce, parmesan & mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle some parsley. Lower heat and bake at 170C for an hour.
Prepared, tried and tested by: Melanie Kramar
