Fast pork and fennel lasagne

"I love this lasagne because I throw in whatever vegetables I have in the fridge that need to be used up, along with herbs, random bits of cheese and of course, breadcrumbs. It's a fast, cheats way of making lasagne, that skips the laborious layering but doesn't skimp on texture and flavour."

Fast pork and fennel lasagne Credit: Adam Liaw

• serves

  6

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  1:30 hour

• difficulty

  Mid

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Ingredients

• 60 ml (¼ cup) extra virgin olive oil
• 1 bulb fennel, finely chopped, fronds reserved
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• sea salt flakes and black pepper, to taste
• 1 kg pork and fennel sausages, casings removed
• 250 ml (1 cup) white wine
• ⅔ cup chopped herbs (try sage, thyme and rosemary)
• 900 ml tomato sugo (seasoned tomato passata)
• 250 g fresh lasagne sheets (about 6), torn in half (or instant dried sheets)

Herby pangrattato

• 105 g (1½ cups) sourdough breadcrumbs
• ½ tsp fennel seeds, toasted and coarsely ground
• 1 tbsp chopped herbs (sage, thyme and rosemary)
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Bechamel

• 40 g unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 500 ml (2 cups) warm milk
• ⅓ cup chopped herbs, (sage, thyme and rosemary)
• 180 g mixed cheese, (cheddar, parmesan and mozzarella)

Resting time: 10 minutes

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large, deep 24 cm ovenproof frying pan over medium heat. Add the fennel, onion, garlic and a pinch of salt flakes and cook, stirring regularly, for 15 minutes or until softened.
2. Add the sausage meat and cook for 15 minutes, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned all over. Add the wine and chopped herbs and bring to a simmer. Cook for 3 minutes or until the wine is reduced by about half. Add the tomato sugo and 250 ml (1 cup) water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes or until thickened and slightly reduced. Season to taste.
3. Meanwhile, for the herby pangrattato, place all the ingredients in a bowl. Chop the reserved fennel fronds, add half to the bowl and stir to combine. Season to taste.
4. For the bechamel, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes to cook out the flour. Add the milk in 3 batches, whisking constantly after each addition to ensure no lumps form. Increase the heat to medium and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat, stir in the chopped herbs, including the remaining fennel fronds and two thirds of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
6. Push the torn lasagne sheets into hot sauce so they are submerged. Pour over the bechamel and scatter with mozzarella. Place on a baking tray and bake for 25 minutes or until golden all over.
7. Remove from the oven, top with the pangrattato and cook for another 8 - 10 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.

 

Photography by Adam Liaw.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Stream free On Demand

Zero Waste

Watch The Full Episode Here

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Watch The Full Episode Here

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