 |
If you've only ever made lasagna in the oven, you'll know that it takes quite a long time to bake. Having the oven on also heats up the room, which is not necessarily something you want, especially out in the tropics. I recently had a go at making lasagna in a large heavy bottomed frying pan, and it turned out really well - as good as baking it in the oven. Plus it was a lot quicker - maybe 30 minutes in total. Give it a go!
SERVES 2 Preparation Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes |
| 1/2 lb beef mince | 1 teasp sugar |
| 1 medium onion, chopped | 1 teasp oregano |
| 2 large garlic cloves, crushed | 1/3 tin chopped tomatoes |
| 1 cup pasta sauce | 2 cups water |
| 4 lasagne sheets, uncooked | 1 tblsp mayonnaise |
| 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese | 1 tblsp olive oil |
| 1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Mozzarella cheese |
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy bottomed frying pan, and fry the onion and mince until browned all over. Drain off any excess fat. Add the garlic, stir in and gently cook for a couple of minutes.
Add the sugar, oregano, tomatoes and pasta sauce, and stir. Leave most of the mince at the bottom of the pan - this will crisp up nicely towards the end of cooking. Break up the lasagna sheets into smaller pieces and spread out over the top of the meat mixture - stir a little bit so that some of the pasta is mixed in. Add the water to the pan, put a lid on and simmer for about 20 minutes. Check occasionally to make sure the bottom doesn't stick too much. Don't be worried about the runniness initially - the water soon gets soaked into the lasagna.
Once the pasta is cooked and the whole mixture is bubbling nicely, remove from the heat. Add the cheeses and mayonnaise and spread out over the top. Replace the lid, and leave for 5 minutes to allow the cheeses to melt in.
Serve with a crisp green salad and a glass of red wine.