Lasagna à la Didi

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 250 g tomatoes, pureed
• 200 g tomatoes, chopped
• 100 ml cream
• 6 cherry tomatoes
• 1 tbsp blackcurrant syrup
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp basil
• ½ tsp oregano
• ½ tbsp olive oil
• ½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 500 g minced beef
• 50 g butter
• 25 g flour
• 600 ml milk
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 pinch(s) of pepper
• 1 pinch of nutmeg
• 12 lasagna sheets without pre-cooking
• 200 g gratin cheese, pizza cheese, grated

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 40 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 5 minutes

Score the cherry tomatoes and blanch them in boiling water, then let them cool, peel them, and halve them. Mix the pureed and chopped tomatoes together. Add the blackcurrant syrup, oil, vinegar, herbs, and spices and bring the sauce to a boil. Add the cream and bring back to a boil, then add the cherry tomatoes and bring back to a boil. Fry the minced meat with half a tablespoon of olive oil until browned and crumbly and add the sauce. Pour some of the sauce into a baking dish, then layer a layer of lasagna sheets on top. Add another layer of sauce and lasagna sheets, then another layer of sauce and lasagna sheets. Now prepare the béchamel sauce. Put the butter in a saucepan and heat it, but only until it foams and does not brown. Immediately sprinkle the flour into the melted butter and sweat it in the bottom of the pan for one minute, stirring constantly. The heat must be low so that the roux does not turn brown. After the minute has passed, pour 600 ml of cold milk into the roux. Stir with a whisk until everything is combined. Increase the heat slightly and bring the sauce to a boil briefly, stirring constantly just above the base of the pan to prevent sticking. When the sauce has boiled – you may need to remove it from the heat briefly – reduce the heat again and then season with pepper, salt and freshly grated nutmeg. Let the sauce simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally during this time. If there are still any small lumps in the sauce, you can simply pour it through a sieve. Spread the béchamel sauce on the last layer of lasagna sheets. Finally, sprinkle with cheese and bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C (fan oven) for 30 minutes. Plate up and serve.