Five Cheese Meaty Lasagne
If there’s a classic of the Italian meal world, it is the lasagne. Those sheets of pasta with meat between and lashings of cheese or white sauce on the top have graced many a dinner table. And while we aren’t one to scorn a classic, there are also lots of things you can do with the dish to make it a little different.
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One of the simplest things to do with lasagne is to change up the cheeses. Now as a huge cheese fan, I’m in the ‘more the better’ camp for this. So that’s why this Five Cheese Meaty Lasagne is perfect for me. Let’s go talk cheeses.
Go beyond the classic cheeses
The classic lasagne often has one or more of three classic cheeses in it – mozzarella, ricotta and Parmesan. Parmesan is the one that goes on the very top to get that gorgeous brown shade when you bake it in the oven. But with this recipe, we added something a little extra. To the classic trio, we also added Asiago and Gruyere. So, what are they?
Asiago is a cow’s milk cheese that comes from the Asiago region of Italy. There are two main types, fresh (Pressato) which is very smooth or aged (Asiago d’allevo) which is crumblier. It has a full flavour but is quite mild with a strong smell. Now it isn’t always easy to find this cheese so if you have any problems you can substitute it for the following cheeses:
- Gran Padano
- Manchego
- Monterey Jack
- Provolone
- Romano
- Comte
The other cheese in the recipe is Gruyere – now this one is a lot easier to get and most supermarkets will stock it. Gruyere is a hard yellow cheese that comes from Switzerland and has a slightly salty and sweet flavour. Younger cheeses are a bit nutty in flavour while fully aged have a grainy texture.
Recipe tips
You can make the meat sauce from scratch or you can grab something simple from the store. Look for a nice Bolognese or tomato and herb sauce as this will mix nicely with the flavours of the dish.
When you are making the dish, here’s a tip to stop the lasagne sheets from becoming too soft. Cook according to instructions then add them in a single layer on a baking tray and pay them dry with paper towel. Turn and repeat to ensure all moisture is gone. Then you are ready to make up the rest of the recipe.
Five Cheese Meaty Lasagne
A simple lasagne recipe with a little extra cheese!
Ingredients
- 4 c. meat sauce 12 whole lasagna sheets, cooked according to package instructions 1 24 oz. container ricotta cheese 1 egg, beaten 4 tbsp Italian seasoning, divided ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped, plus extra for garnish 2 tsp kosher salt 1 tsp black pepper 1 8 oz. package shredded mozzarella cheese, divided 1 8 oz. package shredded Gruyere cheese, divided ¾ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated ¾ cup Asiago cheese, freshly grated
Instructions
Heat the oven to 375F / 190C In a bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, egg, 3 tbsp Italian seasoning and parsley. Stir together. Take a 13 x 9 inch glass baking dish and spray with a non-stick cooking spray. Add enough of the sauce to cover the bottom then add three of the lasagne sheets. Layer an even layer of ricotta mixture then mozzarella and Gruyere, grated Parmesan and Asiago cheese, all in equal amounts. Repeat this three more times with meat, pasta then cheeses. Add the last of the Italian seasoning on the top layer. Cover the dish loosely with aluminium foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes until the cheese is brown and bubbling. Take out of the oven and sit for around 15 minutes before serving.
