Lamb Lasagna

Lasagna is a delicious Italian dish that’s layered in rich, tomato-ey sauce, creamy cheesy sauce and soft, chewy pasta layers. Although beef is traditionally used, this recipe substitutes it with ground lamb; which is the excess leftovers I had from Christmas last year. The result? Absolutely tender and delicious Lamb Lasagna straight from the oven!

Disclaimer: this is not the traditional Italian recipe. I have modified the base recipe to suit the ingredients available in my kitchen.

This lamb lasagna recipe serves 8.

Ingredients

The main ingredients for this Lamb Lasagna recipe are: minced lamb, tomato puree/ paste, butter, soft cheese (I used mozzarella), milk, and pasta sheets. These make up the body of the lasagna in 3 layers.

Note that I’ve used dried pasta sheets – which I prepared by rehydrating them in boiling water for 8 minutes, despite the instructions claiming they can be used as-is. Rehydrating the sheets results in a juicier lasagna, and prevents any hard bits in the end result.

The seasonings are very simple – salt and pepper for taste. Nutmeg powder, rosemary, and bay leaves add to the spice and fragrance of the lasagna.

Garlic and yellow onions are herbs that are considered a must for me. They infuse that aromatic, caramelized flavour into the lamb meat through the cooking oil. For the veggies, they can be very simple too. I opted for diced carrots, button mushrooms, and frozen green peas. These can be reduced or omitted if preferred.

Parsley and parmesan cheese (which is a hard cheese) were sprinkled over as garnishings. The other ingredients – olive oil and tapioca flour slurry are used as a lubricating agent in between the pasta sheets and thickening agent for the cheese sauce respectively.

Steps

Below are the brief steps for making Lamb Lasagna. Be sure to watch the video to see exactly how I made it 😉

1. In a pan over medium heat, pour cooking oil, garlic and yellow onions. Fry for 3 minutes, or until aromatic.
2. Add minced lamb, rosemary and bay leaves. Cook for 3 minutes, or until the lamb changes to grey. Add carrots, button mushrooms, 1/4 tbsp salt, nutmeg powder and 1/6 tbsp of pepper and stir for 1 minute.
3. Add tomato paste/ puree, chopped tomatoes and 500ml of chicken stock. Stir until combined.
4. Cover the pan. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add 300ml of chicken stock, and stir until combined. Let it continue simmering for 20 minutes.

5. Give the meat a taste and adjust as preferred. Switch off the heat. Remove all rosemary stalks and bay leaves, and stir in the frozen green peas. Let it rest aside.
6. Soak the pasta sheets in hot, boiling water for 8 minutes.
7. Drain the water. Lay them flat on a tray, drizzling and spreading olive oil over each layer.
8. Melt butter in a non-stick pan. When it comes to a gentle boil, add 1 tbsp of tapioca flour.

9. Add milk and 1/16 tsp of pepper. Cook for 1 minute, stirring vigorously.
10. Melt 150g of mozzarella cheese for 1 minute, and another 50g. If the sauce is too thin, mix 1/2 tbsp of tapioca flour with 2 tbsp of water, and add to the sauce.
11. Switch off the heat, and transfer the cheese sauce.
12. Preheat oven to 160°C / 320°F. In a large casserole, butter the sides.

13. Add a layer of minced lamb, followed by a layer of pasta sheets.
14. Add another layer of minced lamb, followed by a thin spread of cheese sauce and a sprinkling of chopped parsley. Repeat until the casserole is filled to the brim.
15. Bake for 45 minutes.
16. Garnish with more parmesan and parsley.

Tips

• Use minced lamb that has 80% lean meat and 20% fat – the presence of fat makes this Lamb Lasagna very juicy and super tasty.
• Removing the rosemary stalks and bay leaves is optional but recommended for a better eating experience.
• Frozen green peas were added last to ensure their colour remains a vibrant green even after baking.
• Rehydrate the pasta sheets in hot water if they are dry. This prevents tough bites in your lasagna. Do not over soak them, however. Drain the water after 8 minutes, and spread some olive oil in between each layer to prevent them from getting stuck.
• If the soaked pasta sheets are stuck together, separate them under running water.
• Tapioca flour slurry is used to thicken many gravy dishes in (Malaysian) Chinese cuisine. Corn starch/ flour can also be used to achieve a similar effect. The usage in this recipe is optional but recommended if the cheese sauce is too thin.
• Buttering the casserole makes it easier to remove the lasagna later.
• As this is a big recipe, if there are leftovers, repeat in a smaller pan to bake together.

Storage Instructions

This Lamb Lasagna is best consumed on the day it was made. Although it can be kept in the fridge overnight to be reheated and enjoyed, I do not recommend storing it for more than a day.

The lamb filling can be frozen weeks ahead, thawed and reheated before use. As for the cheese sauce, it’s not recommended to freeze as its texture may be affected by ice crystals as it thaws.

Let’s Eat

Garnish with parmesan and parsley – so delicious!

The smell of lasagna is very appetizing. The lamb filling is tender, juicy and full of tomato flavours. The cheesiness of the sauce melds so well with the tomato filling, and the chewiness of the pasta sheets ties it in altogether.

This Lamb Lasagna is just so satisfying – and it’ll taste even better made from home.

Happy cooking 😀

Lamb Lasagna

Somjit Najaireeb

Lamb Lasagna is a tender, juicy and very delicious variation of lasagna. It's perfect for a special occasion or a family dinner.

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 1 hr 30 mins

Bake 45 mins

Total Time 2 hrs 25 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Home Cooking, Italian, Western

Servings 8 servings

Calories 115 kcal

Equipment

• Frying Pan
• Non-Stick Frying Pan
• Oven
• Casserole
• Silicone Turner
• Pyrex Measuring Jug

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp cooking oil, unscented
• 30 g garlic, minced
• 130 g yellow onions, diced
• 600 g red meat, minced
• 14 g rosemary
• 4 bay leaves
• 100 g carrots
• 100 g button mushrooms
• 1/2 tbsp salt
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 7 tbsp tomato paste, heapful
• 2 cans chopped tomato
• 800 ml chicken stock
• 130 g green peas, frozen
• 500 g lasagna sheets
• 50 g parsley, chopped
• 40 g butter
• 1.5 tbsp tapioca flour
• 600 ml milk, full cream
• 230 g mozzarella cheese, filling and garnishing
• 2 tbsp water
• olive oil, drizzle
• 50 g parmesan cheese, garnishing

Instructions

 

Lamb Filling

• In a pan over medium heat, add cooking oil, garlic and yellow onions. Stir for 3 minutes, or until aromatic.
• Add minced meat, rosemary and bay leaves. Stir and flatten the minced meat for 3 minutes, or until the surface changed colour, breaking any lumps.
• Add carrots, button mushrooms, 1/4 tbsp of salt, nutmeg powder and 1/6 tsp pepper. Stir for 1 minute.
• Add tomato paste and stir until combined.
• Add chopped tomatoes, stirring until combined.
• Pour 500ml of chicken stock, stirring lightly. Cover the pot and simmer for 1 hour, stirring often.
• After 40 minutes, add the rest of the chicken stock. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Taste and adjust as preferred. Switch off the heat.
• Remove rosemary stems and bay leaves with a pair of clean tongs.
• Stir in all the green peas. Cover the pan and set aside to rest.

Pasta Sheets

• Soak the dried pasta sheets in boiling water for 8 minutes.
• Drain the water. Layer the pasta sheets flat, drizzling and spreading some olive oil in between. Set it aside.

Cheese Sauce

• Melt butter in a non-stick pan over medium heat until boiling gently.
• Add 1 tbsp of tapioca flour, stirring until boiling.
• Add the milk, stirring gently until combined.
• Add 1/16 tsp of pepper, stirring vigorously.
• Melt 150g of mozzarella cheese for 1 minute. Repeat with another 50g of mozzarella cheese.
• Test the consistency of the sauce. If too thin, mix 1/2 tbsp of tapioca flour with water and vigorously stir it into the sauce.
• Switch off the heat. Transfer to a heat-proof bowl and set it aside.

Assemble

• Pre-heat oven to 160°C or 320°F.
• Drizzle and brush the sides of the casserole with olive oil.
• Layer the lamb filling flat, about 1cm in height.
• Place the pasta sheet, and another layer of lamb filling on top.
• Spread the cheese sauce over the filling. Sprinkle parsley over the sauce.
• Place a pasta sheet. Repeat with the pattern of filling, sauce, parsley and sheet.
• For the last lasagna layer, add 30g of mozzarella over the filling.
• Spread the cheese sauce. Sprinkle 50g of parmesan cheese and some parsley.
• Bake in the oven at the same temperature for 45 minutes.
• After 45 minutes, remove from the oven.
• Garnish with parmesan cheese and parsley. Serve.

Video

Notes

Tips

• Use minced lamb that has 80% lean meat and 20% fat – the presence of fat makes this Lamb Lasagna very juicy and super tasty.
• Removing the rosemary stalks and bay leaves is optional but recommended for a better eating experience.
• Frozen green peas were added last to ensure their colour remains a vibrant green even after baking.
• Rehydrate the pasta sheets in hot water if they are dry. This prevents tough bites in your lasagna. Do not oversoak them, however. Drain the water after 8 minutes, and spread some olive oil in between each layer to prevent them from getting stuck.
• If the soaked pasta sheets are stuck together, separate them under running water.
• Tapioca flour slurry is used to thicken many gravy dishes in (Malaysian) Chinese cuisine. Corn starch/ flour can also be used to achieve a similar effect. The usage in this recipe is optional but recommended if the cheese sauce is too thin.
• Buttering the casserole makes it easier to remove the lasagna later.
• As this is a big recipe, if there are leftovers, repeat in a smaller pan to bake together.

Storage Instructions

• Best consumed immediately.
• It is not recommended storing longer than overnight.
• Lamb filling can be prepared beforehand and frozen, to be thawed and reheated before use.
• The cheese sauce is not recommended to freeze as the texture can be affected by ice crystals.

Nutrition

Calories: 115kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 2gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 460mgPotassium: 1mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 270mgIron: 1mg

Keyword bay leaves, butter, button mushroom, carrots, cheese, chicken stock, green peas, lamb, nutmeg powder, parsley, pasta, rosemary

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