I've always been irritated with the lasagna recipes I find online. They use 10,000 kinds of cheese that I either don't like or can't buy here in Pakistan. And even if they were available, why would I spend thousands of rupees on something that won't even last one night? Okay, I know you foodies are probably having a heart attack while reading this but come on. You HAVE to be practical when you're cooking at home. So, I decided to try the local stuff. I mean, why the hell not? Only so much could go wrong. But oh. My. GOD. This turned out so well. This recipe is amazing. Seriously, if you're a meat lover like me who likes her pasta drowning in sauce, HAVE THIS. It's... just try it. I promise you, you'll love it.
Ingredients
Meat Sauce
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Minced/ Ground Meat
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½ kg
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Garlic
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4 cloves
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Onion
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1 (finely chopped)
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Salt
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¼ tsp
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B. Pepper
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¼ tsp
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Red Chili Flakes
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½ tsp
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Tomato Paste
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Tomatoes
Tomato Puree |
4 – 5
3 tbsp |
Sugar
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1 tbsp
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Salt
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¼ tsp
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Red Chili Flakes
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¼ tsp
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White Sauce
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Butter
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2 tbsp
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Flour
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4 – 5 tbsp
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Milk
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2 cups
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Salt
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¼ tsp
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White Pepper
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¼ tsp
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Thyme
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¼ tsp
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Oregano
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¼ tsp
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Layering
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Lasagna Sheets
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6 – 9 (boiled)
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Mozzarella Cheese
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½ block (shredded)
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Cheddar Cheese
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¾ block (shredded)
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B. Pepper
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1 tsp
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Method
Cook meat in 1 - 2 cups of water until it's cooked through. Pour a little oil in a pan and fry the meat till it starts taking on color. Add garlic and onions till the onions turn translucent. Add seasoning. Combine ingredients under 'tomato paste' in a blender and add to the meat. Simmer for 20 mins or until the excess water has dried up.
Boil the lasagna sheets, keeping them slightly undercooked so they don't turn rubbery in the oven.
In another pan, melt the butter, take off heat and start adding the flour little by little; stirring constantly. When it starts looking like roux, put it back on the flame (low heat) and warm for 1 minute. Take off heat and start adding the milk (about half to a full cup) in a thin stream, again stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Once the sauce looks smooth, add the rest of the milk and put on low flame till the sauce thickens to your liking.
Once all the sauces are done, start the layering in a deep oven-proof dish. First, add the meat sauce then the white sauce. Place lasagna sheets on top of the sauces and add both cheeses. Build 2 more layers and on the top layer after adding the cheese, sprinkle some black pepper and oregano. Bake for 20 - 25 mins (230°C, 450°F). Serve with garlic bread cause it's awesome.
Boil the lasagna sheets, keeping them slightly undercooked so they don't turn rubbery in the oven.
In another pan, melt the butter, take off heat and start adding the flour little by little; stirring constantly. When it starts looking like roux, put it back on the flame (low heat) and warm for 1 minute. Take off heat and start adding the milk (about half to a full cup) in a thin stream, again stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Once the sauce looks smooth, add the rest of the milk and put on low flame till the sauce thickens to your liking.
Once all the sauces are done, start the layering in a deep oven-proof dish. First, add the meat sauce then the white sauce. Place lasagna sheets on top of the sauces and add both cheeses. Build 2 more layers and on the top layer after adding the cheese, sprinkle some black pepper and oregano. Bake for 20 - 25 mins (230°C, 450°F). Serve with garlic bread cause it's awesome.
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| Image Courtesy: Google |
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