Lasagna is a favourite in our house! I usually make a double batch and freeze one for an emergency meal. Because of the large quantity of meat (and hidden vegetables) that I am cooking with I choose to make my bolognese over the hotplate. My Thermomix still gets a work-out though and I can usually have a Lasagna ready to assemble in twenty minutes. It goes something like this.
Chop and saute 2 onions and 4 cloves of garlic.
Whilst onions are sauteing, fetch and roughly chop all the other vegetables; zucchini, eggplant, carrot, capsicum, mushrooms (really, whatever is in the bottom of the fridge).
Empty onions into frypan, add 1kg of mince to frypan to brown slightly Add other vegetables to the TM bowl and chop to desired consistency, usually around speed 8 if you are wanting to disguise them.
Add vegetables to the frypan along with 2 tbsp of stock concentrate, can or two of tomatoes, good splash of red wine, 2 tbsp tomato puree, seasonings and start to simmer. Chop herbs in Thermomix and add to bolognese.
Whilst meat is simmering, make a double batch of bechamel sauces as per the Everyday Cookbook (EDC). Don’t you love the ease of bechamel in the Thermomix; butter, flour and milk into the bowl. Press your time, temp, speed and 12 minutes later – velvety smooth bechamel. Not a lump to be seen.
Whilst the bechamel is cooking and the bolognese simmering, fetch your baking dish and lasagna sheets and prepare to assemble. Last time I made lasagna I had some fresh pasta in the fridge (I had made a double batch from EDC two night before) so I rolled that out too.
Assemble your layers.
Place in the oven for 40 minutes
Dinners done! Actually make that two dinners done!