Lasagne topping
All of the children were home for lunch today, and my parents. Rare event. Lasagne for lunch - easy (necessary, since lunch was late because everyone was caught up with watching the final of the Australian Open). I'd cooked the bolognese yesterday, Lettice layered it with the sheets of pasta, while I mixed up the topping:
2 eggs, beaten
500ml 0% yoghurt
nutmeg
pepper
Mix all this together and pour on the top of your lasagne. Either, drizzle with a little olive oil, or grate on a little parmesan.
The result is a tangy topping, lighter and rather more interesting than a bechamel-based cheese sauce. It's also quicker - important if you arrive back from the station (fetching elder daughter) after your guests.
No photograph: you all know what lasagne looks like ;)
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6 comments:
Hi. It's me again. Lasagne topping sounds good. Do you have a healthy lasange recipe on your blog? I will take a look.
Joanna
I was wondering about trying to make a healthier lasagne white sauce and this sounds perfect.
What consistency does it have?
Charlotte
I don't think so, Mandy. This is what I do: I fry a lot of chopped onions, about the same weight as the mince I'm going to use. Just until they are soft. Then I brown 5% mince. I add a little wine, if I've got it, bubble it up. Then I add chopped tomatoes, again, a lot. Some tomato paste from a tube (or a whole tin, if I'm making a big batch). Nutmeg, lots of that. Pepper. Fresh herbs if I've got them, but I don't worry if not, and I don't bother with dried hersb, they taste like dust. Water if necessary. Bring to the boil and simmer on the lowest possible setting for about an hour.
Modifications: if the boys make it, they add a little full fat milk after half an hour. It adds sweetness. I sometimes put bacon pieces into this (frying them after the onions are done), and I always put in extra/leftover cooked tomatoes if I've got some in the fridge.
Mostly I make this ahead; if I'm organised I make a big batch and put half in the freezer. I layer this (or get Lettice to layer this!) with fresh lasagne (it's the only fresh pasta I buy), starting with a meat layer, ending in pasta and then the topping as in the original post.
Sometimes, if I think everyone is eating too much meat, or if I'm on an economy drive, I'll add a small quantity of cooked black brown lentils to this (the kind that keep their shape after cooking). They are barely noticeable (unless you overdo it!)
Hope that helps
Joanna
Hi Charlotte,
It's quite a thick mixture, a custard-ish sort of consistency, and doesn't run down the edges like the thinner sauces that I've tried in the past in an effort to make a healthier white sauce. I think I'm going to experiment with this in other dishes which use a savoury custard such as quiche
Mm! I like this idea a lot...I've never put anything but cheese on top, so I think this would add a whole different dimension to the dish. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Joanna
This topping sounds great, thanks for sharing.
Just wanted to say that not all dried herbs taste like dust. If you buy these abroad they are often wonderful and 500% better than the jars that you find in the UK. They do make a difference to a dish if you don't have fresh to hand.
If you do buy them abroad go for the best quality you will never, ever regret the investment.
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