Chef Flower's Lasagna Lasagne

Chef floWer's Note:

You can use Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) or Beef for this lasagna. My Italian neighbour has given me this recipe except she used beef. I changed it using TVP (textured vegetable protein) Vege Mince as I don't eat red meat. I often cook this and even die-hard meat eaters enjoy it.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 2 (150 g) textured vegetable protein, TVP Vege Mince or 500 g minced beef
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 375 g lasagna sheets , fresh
• 450 g mozzarella cheese , grated

Sauce

• 1 -2 garlic clove , finely chopped
• 1 brown onion , finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon oregano , dried
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 medium carrots , finely chopped
• 3 celery ribs , finely chopped (celery sticks)
• 425 g mushrooms , pieces (optional)
• 425 g diced tomatoes
• 150 g tomato paste
• 1 cup water , if needed (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 oC.
2. Prepared the Vege Mince as instructed on packed. I buy the Sanitarium TVP Vege-Mince from the supermarket in the health food section. Leave aside mince until needed.
3. In a food-processor process the garlic & onion then remove into a separate small bowl. Process carrots remove into a separate small bowl then process celery. (If you don't have a food-processor then finally chop the garlic, onion, carrots and celery).
4. To prepare the sauce, heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil. Once its warm. Add garlic and onion, mix ingredients, cook for about 3 minutes or until soft (do not brown).
5. Add oregano and black pepper (If your not a spice fan then you may want to use less black pepper), mix ingredients.
6. Add carrots and celery sticks, mix ingredients, cook for about 2 minutes or until soft. Add (fresh or canned) mushroom pieces (optional).
7. Mix ingredients, cook for about 2 minutes.
8. Add mince (TVP or Beef), mix ingredients, cook for about 5 minutes. (If your using beef cook until it is slightly brown).
9. Add diced tomatoes, tomatoes paste, mix ingredients. Add water if mixture is to dry, cook for about 25 minutes, stir occasionally.
10. To put the lasagne together: In a square oven proof dish. Spread over about quarter of the mince mixture. Add mozzarella cheese then cover with the fresh lasagne sheet.
11. Continue to do so until you’re about 1 cm before the top of the dish. Last layer should be the mince mixture.
12. Cover mixture with mozzarella cheese or your favourite white sauce.
13. Place aluminium foil and pop into the oven for about 45 minutes.
14. Remove foil and then cook for another 15 minutes or until brown.
15. Hints:.
16. My square oven proof dish is 30cm length, 20 cm wide & 6 cm deep. If your dish is smaller it will be ok. However you may have left over mince mixture.
17. If you prefer to make up your own sheets you can do so, I like the lasagne sheets as it quick easy and hassle free.
18. Any extra ingredients could be made up in disposable foil oven trays with lids and placed in the freezer or you may want to use extra sauce for with another pasta dish.
19. Vegans: You can use vegan cheese if you wish.

Reviews

[Andi of Longmeadow Farm]

This lasagna recipe is not only extremely smooth tasting it is quick too. I had everthing on hand so this worked out perfectly. I use finely chopped carrots in my tomato sauce that I can for the winter. The carrot(s) seem to help the acid level (and taste) of the sauce, and no one notices. Perfect! The celery only enhances the taste even more so. This brings a depth of flavor that really is concentrated, and absolutely delish. I didn't add salt, as there was enough from the celery, tomato paste and mozzarella cheese. I used fresh (diced) tomatoes from the garden, The whole dish was beautiful, and exceptional dish, that will be part of the Saturday Lunch at the Farm rotation for years to come. Thanks so much, Chef floWer!!

[Annacia]

I used the beef option and aside from trying to convert the gram measurements to U.S. measurements everything went well. I needed to use added beef broth (in place of water) because I used "no pre cook" noodles and I also added a 1/3 cup of parm cheese just because I like. It turned our very nice indeed and smelled wonderful. This went to a potluck (I cut it into 12 servings) and it was the first dish to disappear and some folks came back to see if there was any left. One lady ask me for the recipe. I'll be making this in a smaller amount for DH and I soon but I think I'll leave out the carrots and celery fo us. Very tasty lasagna.

[Mirj]

Honest truth -- the directions were a bit confusing for me, but I've made lasagne for yonks and yonks, so the procedure could be done in the dark with one arm tied behind my back. I used dry TVP crumbles which I reconstituted in chicken-flavored (but vegetarian) broth. The broth had enough sodium in it to flavor the TVP, otherwise I think more salt needs to be added to the recipe. I used lasagne sheets that don't have to be pre-cooked, and the nice lady at the supermarket was kind enough to grate my cheese for me, so it was a very easy recipe to put together. I love the texture of the vegetables mixed in together with the TVP.