BEST ITALIAN LASAGNA RECIPE | How to Make Homemade Lasagna | Italian Food Recipes

INGREDIENTS:

1 x celery branch (chopped into cubes)

1 x carrot (chopped into cubes)

¼ onion, or 1/2 if it is small (chopped into small pieces)

500g Lasagna sheets

TIP: Lasagna sheets should be good quality and I prefer the ones you use that you don’t need to pre-cook because you can put them straight into the oven. Of course fresh lasagna sheets would be even better!

1 x packet of dried porcini mushrooms

700g mixed veal and pork mince 1

50g diced dry mozzarella

1 x fresh mozzarella (fior di latte)

1 x large piece of Parmigiano Reggiano (you can also buy this already grated if you like)

2 pinches of mixed dried herbs Extra virgin olive oil

UTENSILS: 1 x large deep saucepan 1 x rectangular non-stick baking tray 1 x knife 1 x wooden spoon 1 x grater 1 x small bowl

METHOD:

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees celcius

2. Add water to your kettle and boil it

3. Place the porcini mushrooms in a bowl and pour hot water over them Not too much, but they should be almost covered

4. Place the saucepan on the stove at a medium heat and add 4-5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

5. Add onion, carrot and celery and mix with a wooden spoon. Leave to simmer until onion browns

6. Slice 4 pieces of the dry mozzarella and then cut them into small cubes

7. Now that the onion has browned, add the mince, breaking it up first with your hands and then once you have added it all, break it up more with a wooden spoon

8. The meat will start to brown and once it is half cooked, add the porcini mushrooms, along with the water they have been in and combine. Make sure you strain the water as the mushrooms might have some residue.

9. Once the meat has almost finished cooking, break it down a little more with the spoon and add the passata/fresh tomato puree

10. Let this simmer, and add fresh basil leaves, breaking them into smaller pieces using your hands

11. Add 2 x pinches of dried mixed herbs

12. Leave this on the stove for at least 10 minutes

13. Now cut the Fior di latte into slices, and then into small cubes

14. Using a non stick baking tray, line the base with a touch of sauce and meat, being careful not to pour it in or smother it

15. Add a layer of fresh lasagna sheets, completely covering the base and not leaving any gaps

16. Line the top of the pasta sheets with sauce and meat, this time using a generous amount and covering each one

17. Add lots of cubes of both dry and fresh mozzarella, covering the sauce and getting into each corner

18. Grate a generous amount of Parmigiano Reggiano over the top and then begin a new layer

19. Start by lining up another set of lasagna sheets and repeat each step as above

20. Once you grate the parmigiano over the top, add another set of lasagne sheets then smother it with the left over sauce and this time only add the dry mozzarella and grated Permigiano

21. Cover the tray with alfoil and place it in the oven

22. After it has been in the oven for 20 minutes, remove the foil carefully and let it cook for another 10 minutes uncovered so it becomes deliciously crispy on top.