Amazing Simple Lasagna Receipe

اعلانك هنا

By Blog - mai 02, 2020

1 lb. lean ground beef or lamb, or 1 (15-oz.) can cooked lentils, or 1 large eggplant
Olive oil
1 medium red onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 cup red wine
1 (28-oz.) can petite diced tomatoes
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 bay leaves
4 Tbsp. (1/2 stick) butter
1/2 cup potato starch
4 cups milk
1 cup shredded Parmesan
1 tsp. nutmeg
2 egg yolks
Salt and pepper
4 oz. crumbled feta
1 box matzo
Chopped parsley

First, choose your own adventure

If using eggplant: Peel the eggplant and cut into 1" cubes, toss with a generous amount of salt, and put into a colander in the sink for one hour. Rinse the eggplant very, very well to remove the salt and the bitter liquids it has extracted from the eggplant, squeeze to remove any excess moisture, and blot dry with paper towels. Coat the bottom of a hot saute pan with olive oil and fry the eggplant, working in batches if necessary, until brown.

If using lamb or beef: Brown the meat in a hot saute pan with a bit of olive oil, then move to a bowl.

If using canned lentils: Rinse very, very well to remove salt, then set aside.

Next, make the tomato sauce

In a saute pan over high heat, cook the red onion in a bit of olive oil for about 3 minutes or until the onions are translucent, then add the garlic and tomato paste and continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and fragrant. Stir in the red wine, diced tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano, cinnamon, and bay leaves, bring to a boil, then stir in the meat/eggplant/lentils and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until thickened, then remove bay leaves, taste for seasoning, and adjust as necessary.

While the sauce simmers, make the white sauce

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, then whisk in the potato starch until there are no raw bits visible. Whisk in the milk, one cup at a time, until the sauce is thick and steamy. Remove from heat; add the nutmeg and Parmesan cheese and whisk for about 2 minutes to help the sauce cool down a bit. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as desired, then whisk in the egg yolks.

Make the pastitsio

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat the bottom of one large or four individual-sized casserole dishes with a bit of olive oil. Line the bottom with matzo, then layer as follows:

Half the tomato sauce
One third of the white sauce
Half the feta
Sprinkling of chopped parsley
Layer of matzo
Remaining tomato sauce
One third of the white sauce
Remaining feta
More parsley
Layer of matzo
Remaining white sauce

Bake the pastitsio until brown on top—between 30-40 minutes for individual sized, 45-55 minutes for large. Allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.