Last weekend, I tried my hands on the very delicious Lasagna (pasta in the form of sheets or wide strips baked with meat or vegetables, red or white sauce and cheese). I made the veg version with onions and mushrooms in red (tomato) sauce and we relished it. 🙂

Here’s the recipe for you guys to try and enjoy!

Preparation Time 15-20 minutes
Baking Time 45-50 minutes
Servings 4
Main Ingredients Lasagna Sheets/Strips, Tomato Puree, Onions, Mushrooms and Mozzarella Cheese
Course Main-course
Level Of Cooking Medium

Ingredients                                                                  

• Lasagne (9 medium size or 6 broader ones or enough for 3 layers)
• Onions  2 big diced
• Garlic  5-7 cloves chopped
• Mushrooms  8 diced (I used white button mushrooms)
• Tomato Sauce  2 tablespoons
• Tomato Puree  450-500 grams (I used the readymade tin of tomato puree)
• Olive Oil  4 tablespoons
• Red Chilli Flakes  1 teaspoon (add more to your taste)
• Oregano  1 teaspoon
• Mozzarella Cheese  1 cup grated (2 cups – if not using parmesan cheese)
• Parmesan Cheese  1 cup grated
• Salt  to taste

Method

Step 1
To make the red sauce – Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a non-stick pan (kadhai). Add onion and garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes or till the onion becomes translucent. Add mushrooms and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add salt and black pepper powder and mix. Now add tomato sauce and tomato puree and mix well. Cook for 4-5 minutes. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and mix well. Your onion and mushroom red sauce is ready. Keep aside to let cool for 5-10 minutes.

Step 2
Add Lasagna Strips in boiling water and boil till soft (about 5-7 minutes). When they are ready, drain them and rinse them to cool them with cold water. As you rinse them, gently separate them with your fingers so that they don’t stick to each other. Prepare baking sheets by spreading some olive oil on them. Place the Lasagna Strips on the sheets, gently coating them with some olive oil so that they don’t stick to each other.

Step 3
In a baking dish, spread some onion and mushroom red sauce.Then put the lasagna noodles slightly overlapping each other (about half an inch). Now sprinkle some grated mozzarella and parmesan cheese all over. Spread the onion and mushroom red sauce all over with the back of the spatula or spoon. Now layer another set of Lasagna and repeat the same steps. I made three such layers. On the third layer, sprinkle the grated cheese well all over (it will give a nice golden brown colour to the Lasagna when baked). Sprinkle chilli flakes and oregano.

Step 4
Cover the dish now with aluminium foil (with some olive oil on the inner side of the foil – it will avoid the cheese from sticking to the foil when being baked). Pre-heat your oven to 180 degree celsius. Bake the Lasagna for 20-25 minutes with the foil. Then remove the foil carefully (as the dish will be very hot) and bake for another 20-25 minutes or till you start seeing golden brown spots on the cheese. Once it’s ready, let it cool for 5-10 minutes. Then cut and enjoy! 🙂

Relish your Palate!

(PS: I used the oven-ready Lasagna Sheets/Strips, so I skipped the Step 2. These sheets are ready to be baked and absorb moisture from the cheese and sauces while being baked and become soft.)