Celebrate National Lasagne Day with these delicious recipes

July 29 is known as National Lasagne Day, so all you fans of the dish gather around. We have two great recipes from the South African Mushroom Farmers’ Association for you to try. Celebrate National Lasagne Day with your family this weekend or keep these delicious and healthy recipes for a tasty weeknight dinner.

Double Mushroom Lasagne

Serves 8

Ingredients:

Mushroom sauce:

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely diced

1 carrot, finely grated

1 stalk celery, finely diced

4 garlic cloves, finely minced

500g brown mushrooms or  portobellos , finely diced

1 Tbsp dried Italian herbs

700ml tomato passata

250g lasagne sheets

40g grated parmesan

Béchamel sauce:

1 litre milk

75g butter

75g flour

Pinch of nutmeg

Salt and pepper, to taste

6 large portobello mushrooms, sliced

Salt and pepper, to taste

Olive oil

Fresh parsley, to serve

Method:

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the lasagne sheets and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and set aside in a single layer.

Mushroom sauce:

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until onion begins to brown and softens. Add carrot and celery and cook until tender. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.

Add the mushrooms to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is released and mushrooms are browned. Season well with salt, pepper and Italian herbs.

Pour in the tomato and bring to a simmer.

Simmer until the sauce is thick.

Set aside.

Béchamel:

Melt butter in a pan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk for a few minutes until the mixture smells like biscuits and is lightly golden. Very gradually pour the milk into the mixture and whisk constantly until smooth. Add nutmeg, season well, and simmer for 3-4 minutes until thickened. Set aside.

Fry off the large slices of portobellos on high heat in a drizzle of olive oil. Season lightly.

Assembly:

Preheat oven to 200˚C.

To assemble the lasagne, spoon half the mushroom sauce into the baking dish, scatter with some slices of portobellos and spread with one third of béchamel. Cover with pasta sheets, then repeat with remaining mushroom mixture, more portobellos and one more third of the béchamel. Cover with more pasta sheets. Finish the lasagne with the final layer of béchamel and scatter with parmesan.

Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Eggplant Lasagne Boats

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

500g white button mushrooms

1 onion, finely diced

1 carrot, finely grated

1 stalk celery, finely diced

2 cloves of garlic, sliced

250g lean beef mince

1 x 400g tin diced / crushed tomatoes

4 medium eggplants

150g mozzarella cheese, grated

Fresh basil leaves, for serving

Chilli flakes, for serving

Salt and pepper, to taste

Olive oil, for cooking

Method:

Blitz mushrooms in a food processor or finely chop.

Heat a large dry saucepan/Dutch oven over medium heat and cook the mushrooms until they release all their liquid and are dry and turning golden on the edges.

Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Remove from the pan.

Add a drizzle of olive oil to the pan and add the onion, carrot and celery.

Cook until the vegetables are very tender.

Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.

Add the beef mince and cook until browned.

Return the mushrooms to the pan along with the tinned tomatoes and a good pinch of salt and pepper.

Rinse the tin of tomatoes out with a little water and add to the pan.

Bring to a simmer.

Gently simmer until the sauce has thickened and the flavour has developed.

Taste to adjust seasoning.

While the sauce is cooking, preheat oven to 200˚C.

Cut the eggplants in half and slice a criss-cross pattern into each half.

Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Place cut side down on a lined baking tray.

Bake for 20 minutes, depending on their size until nice and tender.

Switch oven on to grill mode.

When the sauce has thickened, spoon a generous mound onto each eggplant half.

Scatter over the grated mozzarella.

Place under the grill and cook until the cheese melts and begins to get golden brown spots all over.

Scatter the eggplant boats with chilli flakes and fresh basil leaves and serve.