4 best South African lasagne recipes: How to make lasagna at home

Use South African lasagne recipes to impress your loved ones with new cooking skills. This exotic cuisine should be part of your weekly meal plans. Below are four simple guides on how to make lasagne in South Africa. Also, Instagram food content creator and home cook Anathi Xaba shared with Briefly.co.za tips on achieving the perfect balance in your lasagne layers.

Originally from Italy, lasagna is popularly known as a distant cousin of spaghetti. Most of us have tried cooking spaghetti but find lasagne a bit tasking, and lasagna is quite expensive in restaurants. The good news is, Lasagna is not as intimidating or labour-intensive as we thought, and the best lasagne recipe from South Africa will save you time and money.

South African lasagne recipes

With the right lasagne recipe, you need about an hour for cooking and preparations. These recipes will also help you master the art of boosting its natural tastes.

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Anathi Xaba, a popular food content creator and home cook, provide tips on achieving the perfect balance between a saucy, cheesy lasagne while ensuring that the pasta remains tender and not overcooked.

1. Use great quality lasagna sheets that do not require you to boil before putting them in the oven or make your own dough from scratch.
2. Make a thick cheese sauce that will go in between layers and top it off with more cheese. Anathi adds: "Use different cheese to add flavour and much more cheesiness".
3. Make sure your mince or choice of meat is fully cooked so once the lasagne is done baking every aspect of it is ready.
4. Top it all up with breadcrumbs. "Trust me on this one you will not regret it!" - Anathi mentions.

Get into the kitchen and try out any of these four lasagna pasta recipes.

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Simple South African mince lasagne recipe

This easy lasagne recipe from South Africa comes in handy when preparing meals for four to six people. Additionally, it is the cheapest and quickest option because it has fewer ingredients than what other recipes require.

Simple lasagne ingredients

• A packet of lasagna pasta (8 sheets)
• One kilogram of beef mince (preferably lean)
• Half a cup of grated Parmesan cheese
• 100 grams diced bacon
• Five cups of milk
• 125 grams of butter
• Two tablespoons of olive oil
• Two tablespoons of paprika
• One cup of chopped potatoes
• Two medium-sized onions
• Three sprigs of rosemary
• Two cloves of garlic
• 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour
• Four carrots, grated
• Salt
• Black pepper

Cooking instructions

1. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Then, sauté the onions, carrots, garlic, rosemary, and bacon over high heat for about three to five minutes.
2. Add the lean beef mince to the mixture. Stir and let all the ingredients mix well. When the meat has browned, add one cup of finely chopped tomatoes. You can also use tomato paste at this point. Add salt and black pepper. Then, mix in the tomatoes and cover the skillet. Let it cook over medium-low heat until the beef becomes soft.
3. Once your meat is ready, you can place it aside. Then, begin preparing the Bechamel sauce. Heat two tablespoons of butter for a few minutes over medium heat.
4. Once the butter melts, add 3/4 cup of flour and whisk the mixture. Add milk and continue whisking to get rid of any lumps. Place the mixture on your stove and let it heat. Continue whisking and add a pinch of salt and black pepper to taste. Let the sauce cook and thicken to your liking.
5. Preheat your oven to 180°C. Then, begin layering your lasagna. First, brush a tablespoon of olive oil over an oven-friendly dish. Spread a quarter of the Bechamel sauce on the dish. Place one sheet of lasagne over the sauce. Layer one-third of the mincemeat mixture over the sheet, then place another lasagna sheet on top of the mixture. Add one-third of the Bechamel sauce. Repeat the above steps with the remaining lasagne pasta sheets. Make sure that the last Bechamel portion is added on the top.
6. Sprinkle the paprika and the grated Parmesan cheese over the Bechamel sauce. Then, bake for thirty minutes. Let it cool and serve.

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Sophisticated beef lasagna recipe from South Africa

The sophisticated mince lasagne recipe from South Africa splits ingredients into two categories. Please note that there is no right or wrong way to layer lasagna. However you do it, be assured that the meal will still have an incredible taste.

Bolognaise sauce

• 2 peeled large onions
• 2 peeled large carrots
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 kg lean beef mince
• 4 crushed cloves of garlic
• 75g flour
• 75g butter
• 2 cups of milk
• ¼ cup of red wine
• ½ cup beef stock
• 410g tomato purée
• 410g chopped tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon of tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

White sauce

• ½ cup beef stock
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• Sea salt and ground pepper
• 2 springs of fresh thyme (or rosemary, basil or bay leaves)

Ingredients for assembling

• 400g dried lasagne sheets
• A handful of breadcrumbs
• A handful of grated cheddar
• Pinch of ground paprika
• A handful of grated parmesan

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Cooking guide

The procedure entails a series of steps before baking the lasagna sheets. In this case, you do not need to understand how to make lasagna pasta because you can get ready-made sheets.

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
2. Chop the carrots and onions before mixing them with the garlic.
3. Add olive oil into a large saucepan placed over low heat. Introduce the mixture and cook for about 5 minutes.
4. Place the mince in the pan and add thyme after 1 minute. Cook for about 5 minutes or until it turns brown.
5. Now, add red wine and continue cooking for 2 more minutes. Stir and add the canned, stock, and paste tomatoes. Season and cook for 20 more minutes while stirring at different intervals.
6. Introduce more seasoning and simmer for about 30 minutes before removing from the heat. Now, stir through the balsamic vinegar.
7. Place a pan over low heat and melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk for about a minute to form a paste.
8. Slowly add a little milk into the pan, whisking the paste continually to prevent the formation of lumps. Stop once you have attained a consistent thickness.
9. Continue stirring as you simmer the sauce for 1 minute. Remove from heat and season for tasting.
10. Cook the pasta sheets partially for 5 minutes in salted boiling water before draining and running cold water.
11. Now, place the bolognese sauce at the base of an ovenproof dish. Overlay it with pasta sheets and an even layer of sauce. Repeat until you fill up the dish and place the white sauce on top.
12. Spread the cheese, breadcrumbs, and ground paprika on top, then bake for about 20 minutes or until they turn golden in colour.
13. Let it cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Put a thin layer of sauce on the dish's bottom and add the rest of the meal.

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Vegan lasagne recipe

Customizes lasagna recipes to suit non-meat consumers using mushrooms, lentils or cereals. A lasagna recipe for vegetarians gives you a balanced sweet and spicy taste. Make it spicy using these guidelines:

Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked brown lentils
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 small brown onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 small carrot
• 1 small zucchini
• 1 large tomato
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 fresh spring thyme, leaves removed
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of pepper

White sauce ingredients

• 1/8 cup of vegan butter
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 175ml plant milk
• 1.8 cup of nutritional yeast or vegan cheese
• 4-5 lasagna sheets

Instructions

1. Dice the onion and tomatoes, crush the garlic cloves, and grate the carrots and zucchini.
2. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
3. Over medium heat, heat a frypan, and once hot, add the onions and allow them to cook until translucent.
4. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds before adding the carrot, zucchini, and vinegar. Cook for another 2 minutes.
5. Add the rest of the ingredients and allow the mixture to boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until tender.
6. Prepare the white sauce by melting the butter in a saucepan. Once melted, turn off the heat and whisk in the flour. When properly whisked, add the milk and the yeast or the cheese.
7. Heat the mixture as you whisk it until it boils, and you can season it with pepper and salt.
8. The next step is assembling the lasagne. First, take a baking tray, then add a layer of the lentil mix. Then, top it with the white sauce, followed by a layer of lasagne sheets. Do the same with more layers, finalizing with a white sauce layer at the top.
9. Bake for 30-40 minutes, and the lasagne will be ready for serving.

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Sweet chicken lasagne recipe from South Africa

Learn how to cook chicken lasagne instead of beef lasagne if you prefer white to red meat. The meal is commonly served with a salad. Since lasagne is greasy and filling, salad makes a pleasant palate-cleanser. Serve separately or have lasagne and salad as one meal.

Ingredients

• 500 grams of boneless chicken
• Eight sheets of lasagne pasta
• Two garlic cloves
• One large red onion
• 1/4 cup of brown sugar
• One red bell pepper
• Olive oil
• 1 cup of cottage cheese
• Five cups of milk
• 125 grams of butter
• Hot sauce (optional)
• One teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/2 a cup of Parmesan cheese
• One teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1 litre of milk

Cooking steps

1. Mix the brown sugar, garlic and hot sauce in a large pan.
2. Saute the bell pepper, onions, and garlic in olive oil until they become tender. Add the sliced chicken pieces. Then, add the cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Let the chicken cook for five minutes, and add the sugar sauce. Let it cook for eight to ten minutes.
3. Heat butter in a saucepan. Add flour and whisk the mixture. Then, add the milk gradually. Whisk until the flour mixture has no lumps. Sprinkle cottage cheese and stir.
4. Preheat your oven to 180°C and brush oil in a rectangular ovenproof container that can hold up to three litres. Pour the flour mixture (two serving spoons).
5. Add a sheet of lasagna, two scoops of the chicken sauce, and the flour mixture. Place another sheet of lasagne over the mixture. Repeat this process and ensure the flour mixture is at the top. Then, sprinkle the Parmesan cheese. Place the lasagne mixture in a baking tray and bake for 40 minutes.
6. There are several other recipes for lasagna. You can use soya chunks and almond milk if you are a vegan. Also, feel free to incorporate other herbs like rosemary, thyme, and basil. For softer lasagne, add more sauce on the edges of your lasagne layers.

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Do you cook lasagne first?

You do not have to pre-cook the pasta sheets because the sweet sauce from the spaghetti sauce is enough for the noodles to cook in the oven as the lasagna bakes.

Do lasagne sheets need to be boiled first?

No. Instead of boiling the sheets, ensure the meat sauce is slightly thinner and cook lasagne in the oven for a minimum of 40 minutes.

Should you soften lasagne sheets?

Cooked lasagne noodles do not need to be soaked, cooked, or parboiled. Hence they are better than those that require parboiling. Just cover them completely covered in sauce. Check out SPAR lasagne recipes to learn more cooking methods.

Spread love and happiness regardless of the occasion by serving your loved ones lasagna dishes. South African lasagne recipes are easy for learners because they have simple cooking steps.

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READ ALSO: Pickled fish recipe - how to make pickled fish?

Briefly.co.za also shared a simple pickled fish recipe. It is one of the best traditional foods from the Western Cape in South Africa. Most locals usually have it as a first course or main meal.

Serve pickled fish with bread and butter or potato salad with dressed lettuce leaves. If you need to store this meal, refrigerate at no higher than 40 degrees F and use it within 4 to 6 weeks to get the best flavour.

Source: Briefly News