Moussaka Lasagne

Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 red pepper, roasted
• 1 medium eggplant, par-roasted
• 1 medium potato, par-boiled
• 1/2 carrot, finely diced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 450 g lean organic ground lamb or 450 g beef mince
• 3 diced fresh tomatoes
• 2 large garlic cloves
• 1 beef stock cube or 1 lamb stock cube
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon herbes de provence
• 1/2 teaspoon rock salt
• 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
• 2 ounces olive oil
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 1 pinch cinnamon
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
• 8 slices lasagna noodles
• 2 1/2 tablespoons plain flour
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 cups hot milk
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 250 g ricotta cheese
• 2 eggs, beaten

Recipe

• 1 partially peel the eggplant so it looks striped, cut in 5mm rounds and brush each side with olive oil.
• 2 roast in oven for 15 mins on 400°c.
• 3 while this is happening, grill (skin side up, until blackened) the red pepper.
• 4 peel and dice.
• 5 peel and cut potato into 5mm rounds and quickly par-boil so that the outer rim just begins to soften.
• 6 drain potato rounds and pour cold water over to stop them from cooking.
• 7 with the remaining olive oil in a large skillet, fry the diced carrot, red pepper, and onion until translucent.
• 8 add the beef or lamb mince and fry.
• 9 add the herbs, stock cube, herbs, salt, black pepper, crushed garlic, diced tomatoes, nutmeg and cinnamon, turn the heat way down after the meat has browned.
• 10 now for the bechamel sauce:.
• 11 in a small saucepan, mix the flour and butter over a low heat until a thick paste forms.
• 12 making sure it doesn't burn, keep spreading the paste around for a couple mins until the flour cooks off.
• 13 slowly add hot milk little by little, still stirring.
• 14 add parmesan and ricotta, keep stirring.
• 15 let cool for a few minutes before stirring in beaten eggs.
• 16 in a lasagne dish, place the potato rounds, then a layer of lasagne pasta.
• 17 next add a layer of eggplant rounds, then half the mince mixture, then the mozzarella.
• 18 add another layer of pasta, eggplant rounds, then the rest of the mince.
• 19 pour the bechamel sauce over the top, then pop the whole thing in the oven on 400 c for 40 mins or until lightly browned along the edges.
• 20 allow to cool off (this sets the top layer of "custard") for 20 mins before cutting into squares and serving.
• 21 i find tabasco sauce goes great with this amazing dish!