A lasagna is the answer to 'what's the best thing in Italian cuisine?'. Alternating layers of cheese sheets and succulent meat mixture baked, make for a heavenly dish.
Ingredients
1 ½ tbsp oil
2 ½ tbsp butter
1 large onion, finely sliced
4 pods garlic
1 tsp celery, finely cut
2 medium capsicum, sliced
1 cup grated carrot
4 tomatoes, finely sliced
1 cup tomato puree
½ cup mushroom
1 cup cooked chicken, boneless
Salt, as required
¼ tsp black pepper powder
7-8 sheets lasagna (can be purchased)
For the white sauce
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp maida
1 ¾ cups milk
2 small eggs, beaten
¾ cup grated cheese
Preparation
Keep the oven heated at 150 degree Celsius
Heat together oil and butter in a pan and sauté sliced large onions and garlic
When the onions begin to turn transparent, add celery, capsicum and carrot and stir well
Add tomatoes, tomato puree and stir well
When it boils, add mushroom, chicken and sufficient quantity salt and pepper powder, mix well, cook and keep aside
Brush the lasagna sheet with some oil and boil in salt water for 10 minutes
Boil till it becomes tender. Do not put all the sheets at once
Once it is cooked, drain the excess water and put them in cold water
Take it out after a while and lay on a towel
For preparing the white sauce, heat the butter and add maida to it and stir. Add milk to it
Mix and blend without allowing the milk to solidify. Add beaten eggs and grated cheese, mix and remove from stove
Layer a little of the prepared tomato mix in a baking dish
Lay three lasagna sheets over it. Again add a layer of some more tomato mix over it
Pour half of the prepared cheese sauce over it
Once again, make a layer of tomato mix, lasagna sheet, tomato mix, cheese sauce in that order
The sheets must soak well
Garnish with cut tomatoes, place in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes