LASAGNA CON SALSICCIA E BROCCOLI

LASAGNE WITH SAUSAGE AND BROCCOLI

Salsiccia e broccoli is a popular meal in southern Italy. It is made with pork sausages and local bitter cime di rape leaves and is usually served as a main course. I have taken these two beloved ingredients and made them into this nutritious lasagne. Instead of cime di rape, which is hard to come by, I have used normal broccoli florets, which are cooked and blended. Simple to prepare, it creates an alternative lasagne and a nutritious meal.

SERVES 4

350g broccoli florets

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 garlic clove, lightly crushed and left whole

300g Italian pork sausages ½ onion, finely chopped approximately 6 dried lasagne sheets

40g grated parmesan cheese sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE BECHAMEL SAUCE

40g butter

40g plain flour

500ml milk pinch of grated nutmeg

10g grated parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Cook the broccoli in a pan of salted boiling water until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain, reserving a little of the cooking water.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan, sweat the garlic over a medium heat for a minute, then add the broccoli and stir-fry for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and, using a stick blender, blend with the reserved cooking water until smooth. Set aside.

Remove the skins from the sausages and crumble the meat. Heat the remaining olive oil in a separate frying pan, sweat the onion over a medium heat for about 5 minutes until softened, then stir in the sausage meat, add salt to taste and stir-fry over a medium heat for 10 minutes, until the sausage meat is golden.

In the meantime, make the béchamel sauce. Melt the butter in a small saucepan, take it off the heat and quickly whisk in the flour, then gradually whisk in the milk. Return to the heat and cook over a low heat, whisking, until the sauce begins to thicken slightly. Remove from the heat, add a little salt and pepper, the nutmeg and grated parmesan.

Line an ovenproof dish with a little béchamel sauce, followed by two lasagne sheets and a layer of broccoli, then sprinkle over some sausage meat, then a little grated parmesan. Continue making layers until you’ve used up all the ingredients, ending with béchamel sauce and a final sprinkling of parmesan. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for a further 15 minutes until golden and bubbling.

Remove from the oven, leave to rest for 5 minutes, then serve.