Lasagna Without Ricotta Cheese

This lasagne without ricotta is made with homemade traditional white sauce over layers of rich tomato saucy meat with 3 layers, topped off with a cheesy, crusty top, oven baked until golden brown.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

Servings people

Calories 439kcal

Author Kim

Ingredients

Ragu Bolognase

500 grams / 1 lb. Beef Mince Ground beef
1 medium Onion diced
3 cloves Garlic crushed
2 tablespoons Fresh basil finely chopped
1 can Crushed Tomatoes 400g/14ounce
3 tablespoon Tomato Paste
½ cup Tomato Passata/tomato puree
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon Garlic salt/sea salt
1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
½ teaspoon Dried Chilli flakes
¾ cup grated carrot
¾ cup grated zucchini

White Cheese Sauce

5 tablespoons Butter
1 ½ cups Milk
3 tablespoons Plain flour
½ cup Grated cheese

Other

Oven Ready Lasagne Sheets
¼ cup Grated cheese for top

Instructions

Meat Sauce

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C/350 degrees F
In a medium pan sauté the onion and garlic until translucent. Add in the ground beef, using a spatula to break up any lumps. Cook through for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the grated carrot and zucchini and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add passata, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, worcestershire sauce, garlic salt, oregano, fresh basil leaves and chilli flakes. Stir until combined.
Keep heat on high, stir occasionally until liquid reduces (around 3 – 5 minutes). Once liquid has reduced, remove from heat, cover and set aside.

White Cheese Sauce

Add the butter to a clean pot and gently melt on low heat. Remove pot from heat, add in flour and stir until a paste is formed
Return to medium high heat, add milk gradually over a minute or two, whisking continuously to avoid clumping.
As the milk heats it will slowly begin to thicken the sauce mixture. Dip your finger in to test how hot the milk is and when it is warmish to hot (not boiling), add in ½ cup of grated cheese. Stir in the cheese with the whisk until it melts. As soon as cheese has just melted, remove from heat immediately.

Assembly

Place ⅓ of meat mixture on base of dish. Spoon over ¼ of white sauce. Add lasagne sheet on top of white sauce. Repeat twice, ending with lasagne sheet on top (making sure to reserve ¼ of the white sauce)
Add remaining white sauce on top of lasagne sheet. Sprinkle with ¼ cup grated cheese and a light sprinkle of chopped basil if desired.

Bake

Bake in oven at 180 degrees C (fan forced)/350 degrees F for 30 minutes
Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

Size of baking dish I used: 25cm x 15cm
Mince/Ground Beef: I use extra lean beef mince. Choosing a leaner mince will help to lower the fat content
Cheese/Butter/Milk: To lighten up a traditionally heavy dish, I use the low fat varieties of cheese, milk and butter for this recipe.
Lasagna Sheets: I use San Remo brand – Large Instant Lasagna Oven Ready Lasagna Sheets: no pre cooking required. These sheets are the perfect size for a 25cm x 15 cm dish.
Storing lasagna: Store leftover lasagna in the fridge in an air tight container and eat within 3-4 days
Freezing Lasagna: Cut up lasagna into portions and store in individual containers in the freezer. Make sure the size of the container is just right for the size of the lasagna to maximize freezer space
Defrosting Lasagna: Defrost using microwave safe dish on medium (about 80% power) for about 5 minutes. Don’t forget to cover it with a microwave safe lid so id doesn’t splatter everywhere.
How thick should the White Cheese Sauce be? Before you add the cheese, it should be the consistency of custard. When you dip a spoon into the sauce, you should be able to see it drip off. The cheese will thicken it a little more
How long does the White Cheese Sauce take to thicken? It can be anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes. Once it begins to thicken, it may bubble a little and it will begin to thicken very quickly. I recommend you stir continuously during this time to ensure the sauce doesn't burn, or boil.
What to do if White Cheese Sauce is not thickening. Check the heat. The flour is the thickening agent in the sauce and required heat to thicken. If the pot is on a low or medium heat, it won't thicken. It needs to be on high heat, however keep watch on the sauce to make sure it doesn't boil

Nutrition