Golden Lasagna

Deliciously rich lasagna. This recipe is mouth-watering. My take on the classic lasagna- instead of a béchamel sauce, I use ricotta cheese; the ricotta cheese is decadent and nicely complimented by the fresh basil.

Give it a try and impress your dinner guests! That’s what I did and we finished the whole pan! It was that good.

Makes 6-8 servings:

Ingredients:

• 400 g lasagna pasta (prepared according to box instructions)

• 400 g minced beef

• 750 g ricotta cheese

• 3 cloves of garlic

• 600 g tomato sauce

• a splash of red/white wine

• 1 egg yolk

• 10 fresh basil leaves

• Parmesan cheese

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Procedure:

1. Mince the garlic and cook for 2 minutes in olive oil (1-2 tbsp) in a pan.

2. Add in the minced beef and cook until browned. Salt and pepper to taste.

3. Add a dash of wine and let cook for a couple of minutes. Add in the tomato sauce and leave for 5 minutes. Take off the heat.

4. In a bowl, mix the ricotta with the egg yolk, lemon juice, basil leaves (cut in chiffonade style), salt and pepper, and some Parmesan cheese.

5. Start layering the lasagna: start with a layer of the meat sauce on the bottom of a large baking dish to prevent sticking. Then add a layer of the lasagna pasta: do not overlap the sheets), then add a layer of the ricotta mix, the meat sauce, and repeat until the ingredients are used up.

6. On the last layer: finish with a layer of ricotta and cover in Parmesan cheese—this will leave you with a crispy, cheesy top.

7. Bake at 200 degrees Celsius (390 Fahrenheit) for 20-25 minutes.

8. Garnish with basil and enjoy!