Lasagna is one of my top foods, particularly when it’s cold out. I was elated to learn that U.K. grocery stores sell really delicious single-serve versions of this and it became my go-to on nights when John was out on his own. It’s also worth noting it’s ready in 30 minutes and costs less than 5 GBP.
The funny part? I love when lasagna has a rich red sauce with ground meat and creamy bechamel with the most layers possible. And yet, every time I make it, I use ricotta. So when I set out to make some post-partum lasagna for my dear friends, I figured it was time to get the best of both world, like Hannah Montana taught us.
Ultimate Meat Lasagna
Foundational recipe: Alison Roman’s Classic Lasagna
Enhancements
Meat: Use Half ground beef + half Italian sausage for some extra flair. If you’re in the U.K. and cannot find sausage, buy some higher fat ground pork and season with the following (for 1 pound of meat):
1 TBS paprika
½ TBS red pepper flakes
½ TBS dried sage
1 TSP fennel seeds
1 TSP ground black pepper
1 TSP garlic powder
1 TSP onion powder
1 TSP kosher salt
Ricotta: Chop and sautee fresh spinach in olive oil and add salt, cook until just wilted. Drain with cheesecloth and let cool completely. Add the spinach and some chopped fresh basil to the ricotta mixture.
Bechamel: Make a half batch of this classic bechamel and drizzle it on top of the ricotta filling for each layer. This is not essential, you can use one or the other, but it adds extra creaminess.
Noodles: I understand the temptation of no-boil noodles for this already hands-on recipe, but please do not use them unless you’re following a recipe that calls for that type. They suck the moisture out of your hard work otherwise. For this one, I found a simplified approach in using fresh lasagne sheets - the package specifically says they don’t require boiling before and the texture was perfect.
