Cheat’s Lasagne

Try making this lasagne ahead of time for those mid-week night’s when you don’t have time to cook.
Dinner
10 min prep
70 min cook
8 serves
1.7 serves of veg
  • 500g lean beef mince
  • 1 tbsp pure vegetable oil (canola or sunflower)
  • 1 x 500g passata
  • 1 tbsp dried Italian herbs
  • 3 cups diced frozen vegetables (corn, peas and carrots)
  • 400g penne pasta
  • 2 cups reduced fat milk
  • 40g butter
  • 40g plain flour
  • 100g cheddar, grated
  • Salt and pepper (optional)
  1. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat, add the oil and cook the mince until lightly browned, breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks.
  2. Add the passata, Italian herbs and vegetables and simmer for 10 minutes. Season with pepper.
  3. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta following the packet instructions, (approximately 12 minutes), drain well and immediately mix through the sauce.
  4. Tip the pasta mixture into a large (20 x 32 cm) deep-sided baking dish and press down to make it level and flat.
  5. Preheat oven to 180˚C.
  6. Heat the milk until it is just below boiling, either in a (microwave safe) jug in the microwave (1-2 minutes) or in a small saucepan on the stove.
  7. In a medium saucepan melt the butter, add the flour and stir over a medium heat for about a minute.
  8. Add the milk a little at a time, stirring constantly, adding more milk each time the sauce thickens. Once all the milk has been added and the mixture starts to bubble up it’s ready. If your sauce goes lumpy, give it a good whisk or mix well with a fork.
  9. Immediately pour over the pasta mixture, spreading out with a spoon to get a nice even layer. The sauce mixture should sit on top of the pasta mixture, without sinking.
  10. Sprinkle on the cheese and bake for 25 – 30 minutes, or until the cheese on top is golden brown.
  11. Serve straight from the oven with a garden salad on the side.

Serving Suggestion: Frozen vegetables could be swapped for any other vegetables you have on hand, such as cauliflower and broccoli.

Penne pasta could can also be swapped for other pasta you may have on hand, such as rigatoni or shells.

Cheddar cheese could also be swapped for other cheeses you have on hand, such as mozzarella.

Storage: Leftover lasagne can be stored in the fridge for 3 days or in the freezer for 3 months.

Kids in the kitchen tips: Depending on your child’s age and skill, they can help measure ingredients, select the vegetables to include in the garden salad.

Important

When preparing this recipe:

  • Double check the food label ingredient list for any allergens each time you purchase it.
  • Prevent any allergen contamination during preparation, cooking, and serving with proper hygiene and avoiding cross-contact with allergens.

Nutritional Facts

Serving size: 329g Per serving Per 100g
Energy (kJ) 1981 602
Fat (g) 19.0 5.8
Saturated fat (g) 8.7 2.6
Carbohydrates (g) 43.5 13.2
Sugars (g) 9.3 2.8
Fibre (g) 5.6 1.7
Protein (g) 29.3 8.9
Sodium (mg) 320.3 97.3

Acknowledgement

Recipe originally created by Matt Golinski, celebrity chef.

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