“DIG INTO WARM LAYERS WITH THIS CLASSIC RAGU LASAGNE FEATURING A HIT OF CHILLI.”
PHOEBE WOOD’S PORK, ROSEMARY, FENNEL & CHILLI RAGU LASAGNE SERVES 8-10
Begin this recipe 5 hours ahead.
1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil 1.5kg pork neck, trimmed 2 cups (500ml) tomato sugo 400g can chopped tomatoes 2 tbs tomato paste 4 rosemary sprigs, leaves picked 3 tsp fennel seeds 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 tsp chilli flakes 80g unsalted butter 80g plain flour 4 cups (1L) milk tsp freshly grated nutmeg 60g parmesan, finely grated 400g store-bought fresh lasagne sheets 1 cup (100g) mozzarella, grated
To make the ragu, heat oil in a flameproof casserole over high heat. Season pork and add to pan. Cook, turning, for 6-8 minutes until browned. Add sugo, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, rosemary, fennel seeds, garlic, chilli and 2 cups (500ml) water (the pork should be submerged in the sauce). Season, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 3 hours 30 minutes or until pork is tender. Remove lid and simmer for a further 30 minutes until sauce has reduced by one-third. Cool slightly, keep the meat in the sauce, then shred the meat using two fork and stir into the thick tomato sauce. Season and set aside.
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, then gradually add milk in 4 batches, stirring constantly to prevent any lumps from forming. Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes or until thickened. Stir in nutmeg and parmesan. Season, then set aside. Preheat oven to 200°C.
Add a few spoonfuls of ragu to the base of a 4L baking dish. Top with a layer of lasagne sheet, then 1 cup (250ml) bechamel, followed by a layer of ragu. Repeat layering, finishing with a layer of bechamel. Scatter with mozzarella. Place baking dish on a tray and bake for 40 minutes or until golden and bubbling. Rest for 15 minutes before serving.
JO BARRETT’S ZUCCHINI, RICOTTA AND SUNDRIED TOMATO LASAGNE SERVES 9
“When I cook at home I like to pack my meals with lots of vegies. This lasagne is very textural and a different spin on the classic. Plus it uses less pasta, more vegetables, and you don’t miss out on that lasagne feeling.”
cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle 1 onion, finely chopped 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 bunch silverbeet, leaves picked and chopped, stems sliced 1 long red chilli, thinly sliced 200g semi-dried tomatoes, drained, roughly chopped cup (90g) tomato paste 1 bunch English spinach, stems removed, leaves chopped tsp freshly grated nutmeg 1kg fresh ricotta, drained Finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons 1 cup (150g) macadamias, toasted, roughly chopped cup (40g) grated parmesan, plus extra to sprinkle 3 medium zucchini, cut to 3mm-thick
strips (we used a mandoline)
1/ 2 bunch basil, leaves picked, torn,
plus extra whole leaves to serve 250g store-bought fresh lasagne
sheets, blanched and refreshed
Place oil in a large, deep non-stick frypan over medium-low heat. Add the onion, garlic, silverbeet stems and chilli and cooking, stirring, for 10-12 minutes until the onion and stems have softened. Add the semi-dried tomatoes and tomato paste and cook, stirring, for a further 2-3 minutes until tomato paste has caramelised. Stir in the silverbeet leaves and spinach and cover with a lid. Cook for 2-3 minutes until leaves have wilted (add in batches if your frypan isn’t big enough). Season and add the nutmeg. Cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes until some of the moisture evaporates (not too much, this layer will help moisten the pasta).
Set aside.
Place ricotta, lemon zest, juice, 100g chopped macadamia and parmesan in a bowl. Season and stir to combine. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a deep 2.5L-capacity ovenproof dish.
Spoon a thin layer of braised greens over the base of the dish, followed by a single layer of lasange sheets, trimmed to fit the pan. Top the pasta with half of the remaining greens mixture, making sure the layer is thick enough so that you don’t see the pasta underneath, then top with some torn basil leaves. Arrange one-third of the sliced zucchini in a single layer to cover all of the greens. Top with a 5mm-thick layer of ricotta mixture, followed by a layer of lasagne sheets. Continue layering with remaining greens, torn basil and one-third of the zucchini. Top with a final layer of pasta, then spread with a thin layer of ricotta mixture on top. Add remaining one-third of zucchini slices and cover with remaining ricotta mixture. Sprinkle with extra parmesan.
Cook for 45-50 minutes until golden and bubbling. Rest for 15 minutes. Scatter with remaining 50g toasted macadamia and extra basil leaves to serve.