Shirley Ekstein
09-26-2002, 01:03 PM
As promised, Shirley - am sorry it's taken me so long but haven't had ten minutes peace up until now. Am just going to give general directions because I'm sure you'll know what I mean - if there's anything I've been unclear about, just yell - and be patient for a reply!
OK - the lasagne - I make it - is very easy and very quick, but if you don't want to bother then use FRESH lasagne - the dried stuff that's not supposed to need any pre-cooking is so disgusting I wouldn't give it house room, let alone actually use it.
You need some pesto - a proper, original pesto, made with a couple cloves of garlic, few peppercorns, teaspoon salt all smashed together in mortar, then start adding toasted (in dry frying pan) pine nuts, about 2 tablespoons, and about 4 HUGE handfuls basil leaves. Add nuts and leaves to mortar bit by bit and pound together with garlic etc till paste-like. Now stir in about a fluid ounce of your best olive oil and a couple of ounces of grated pecorino/parmesan mixed together. Maybe a little more olive oil - I don't like too much - you want to end up with a paste, not a load of smashed bits floating around in a bath of olive oil.
OK - now make a pint of béchamel, all flavourings as usual, and leave to mature in bain-marie for a couple hours, stirring occasionally. When you're ready to construct your dish, cook the lasagne, refresh in cold water and lay out on tea-towel to dry. Stir all your pesto into your béchamel. Now layer into greased dish - lasagne pesto/béchamel - lasagne - pesto/béchamel - and so on till full, last layer being lasagne. Sprinkle a goodly grating of parmesan over the top. (This can all be done hours in advance.)
Cook at 375F for about 45 mins (if made in advance and chilled, may need another ten minutes or so) until the top is browned and the sauce is bubbling up round the sides.
Using homemade lasgane is a revelation - instead of the leathery edges produced by industrial pasta (which are quite inedible) you will have, around a glorious, unctuous middle a lovely, light, crisp edging - over which people will fight!
OK - the lasagne - I make it - is very easy and very quick, but if you don't want to bother then use FRESH lasagne - the dried stuff that's not supposed to need any pre-cooking is so disgusting I wouldn't give it house room, let alone actually use it.
You need some pesto - a proper, original pesto, made with a couple cloves of garlic, few peppercorns, teaspoon salt all smashed together in mortar, then start adding toasted (in dry frying pan) pine nuts, about 2 tablespoons, and about 4 HUGE handfuls basil leaves. Add nuts and leaves to mortar bit by bit and pound together with garlic etc till paste-like. Now stir in about a fluid ounce of your best olive oil and a couple of ounces of grated pecorino/parmesan mixed together. Maybe a little more olive oil - I don't like too much - you want to end up with a paste, not a load of smashed bits floating around in a bath of olive oil.
OK - now make a pint of béchamel, all flavourings as usual, and leave to mature in bain-marie for a couple hours, stirring occasionally. When you're ready to construct your dish, cook the lasagne, refresh in cold water and lay out on tea-towel to dry. Stir all your pesto into your béchamel. Now layer into greased dish - lasagne pesto/béchamel - lasagne - pesto/béchamel - and so on till full, last layer being lasagne. Sprinkle a goodly grating of parmesan over the top. (This can all be done hours in advance.)
Cook at 375F for about 45 mins (if made in advance and chilled, may need another ten minutes or so) until the top is browned and the sauce is bubbling up round the sides.
Using homemade lasgane is a revelation - instead of the leathery edges produced by industrial pasta (which are quite inedible) you will have, around a glorious, unctuous middle a lovely, light, crisp edging - over which people will fight!