Lasagnette

Lasagnette is a delicious pasta dish that combines minced beef with a creamy tomato sauce and small pasta pieces. This meal is a great alternative to a traditional lasagne because it is much quicker to prepare. You simply cook everything in one pan or dish for a hearty family dinner. It is perfect for busy weekdays when you want something comforting without the extra effort of layering pasta sheets.
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Why lasagnette is a good choice

This Lasagnette recipe uses simple ingredients that most people already have in their kitchen cupboards. The small pasta shapes absorb the sauce perfectly, which makes every bite full of flavour. It is a very family friendly meal that works well for both lunch and dinner. You can easily adapt the recipe by adding different vegetables or changing the type of cheese on top.

How to cook lasagnette

Step 1
Brown the meat: Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic then cook until they are soft. Add the minced beef and fry it until the meat is fully browned. Drain any excess fat from the pan before moving to the next step.
Step 2
Make the sauce: Stir in the tomato puree and dried oregano to the beef mixture. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and let the sauce simmer for five minutes. This helps the flavours develop and makes the base of the Lasagnette rich and tasty. Season with a little salt and pepper if needed.
Step 3
Add pasta and cream: Stir the dried pasta shapes and double cream into the pan with the meat and sauce. Ensure the pasta is well covered by the liquid so it cooks evenly. If the mixture looks too thick, you can add a small splash of water. Transfer everything into an ovenproof dish.
Step 4
Bake and serve: Sprinkle the grated cheddar cheese over the top of the mixture. Place the dish in a preheated oven at 200C for about fifteen minutes. The Lasagnette is ready when the pasta is tender and the cheese is golden and bubbling. Let it stand for a few minutes before serving.

Good advice for lasagnette

To make your Lasagnette even better, try using a mix of different cheeses like mozzarella and cheddar for a stretchier topping. If you want to add more vegetables, finely chopped carrots or peppers work very well in the meat sauce. Always check the pasta towards the end of the cooking time to ensure it is soft but still has a bit of bite.

Letting the dish rest for five minutes after taking it out of the oven allows the sauce to thicken slightly. This makes it much easier to serve neat portions to your family. You can also make a larger batch of the meat sauce and freeze it for another day. Using high quality tinned tomatoes will give the sauce a better depth of colour and sweetness.

You may also like omelette with bacon, beer can chicken or salmon maki.

Ingredients

servings
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  • 500 g minced beef
  • 1 onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 400 g chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons tomato puree
  • 250 g dried pasta shapes
  • 200 ml double cream
  • 100 g grated cheddar cheese
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano

Cooking time

Kitchen tools

Nutrition information

NUTRITIONper serving
  • Energy:3284 kJ / 785 kcal
  • Fat:48 g
  • - of which saturates:26 g
  • Carbohydrates:52 g
  • - of which sugars:6 g
  • Protein:36 g
  • Fibre:4 g
  • Salt:850 mg

People also ask

You can use any small pasta shapes like fusilli or penne if you do not have specific Lasagnette pasta. The most important thing is that the pasta is small enough to be mixed directly into the meat sauce. Smaller shapes tend to cook faster and hold the creamy sauce better than long noodles.
Place any leftover Lasagnette in an airtight container once it has cooled down completely. It will stay fresh in the fridge for up to three days. When you want to eat it again, reheat it in the microwave or oven with a tiny splash of water to keep the pasta moist.
A traditional lasagne uses large flat sheets of pasta layered with meat and white sauce. In contrast, Lasagnette uses small broken pieces of pasta that are stirred directly into the sauce. This makes the preparation much faster as there is no need for careful layering.
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