Neapolitan Lasagne

This generous version of Lasagne takes its inspiration from Naples. Neapolitan Lasagne is layers rich sausage sauce, small sausage meatballs, creamy ricotta, melting mozzarella and slices of hard boiled egg. The meatballs are kept beautifully simple as they are made by rolling seasoned sausage meat only, just as described in the blog.

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 1 30

Total Time 2 15

Servings Portions

Ingredients

Sauce Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
500 g sausage meat good quality
500 g beef mince
800 g chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato purée
150 ml red wine optional
1 tsp dried oregano
1/6 bunch fresh basil chopped
salt to taste
black pepper to taste

Meatball Ingredients or use pre made:

400 g sausage meat good quality
Black pepper

Layer Ingredients:

12 sheets lasagne
250 g ricotta
2 large eggs hard boiled and sliced
300 g mozzarella sliced
75 g Parmesan grated

Instructions

Make the Sauce:

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute.
2 tbsp olive oil, 1 large onion, 2 cloves garlic
Add the sausage meat and beef mince. Break it up well. Cook until browned. Pour in the red wine if using and allow it to reduce for a few minutes.
500 g sausage meat, 500 g beef mince, 150 ml red wine
Stir in the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée and oregano. Season well. Let the sauce simmer gently for 30–40 minutes. Stir now and then. Add the fresh basil at the end. The sauce should be thick and rich.
800 g chopped tomatoes, 2 tbsp tomato purée, 1 tsp dried oregano, salt, black pepper, 1/6 bunch fresh basil

Prepare the Simple Sausage Meatballs:

Place the sausage meat into a bowl. Add a good grind of black pepper. Mix lightly with your hands.
400 g sausage meat, Black pepper
Roll into small balls, about the size of a walnut. Keep them neat but do not overwork the meat.
Heat a little oil in a frying pan. Brown the meatballs on all sides for 5–6 minutes. They only need colour at this stage. They will finish cooking in the oven. Set aside.

Prepare the Eggs:

Place the eggs in cold water. Bring to the boil. Simmer for 9 minutes. Cool, peel and slice.
2 large eggs

Assemble the Lasagne:

Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan).
Spread a thin layer of sauce in the base of the dish. Add a layer of lasagne sheets.
12 sheets lasagne
Spoon over more sauce. Dot with ricotta. Add several sausage meatballs. Arrange slices of mozzarella and egg on top. Sprinkle lightly with Parmesan.
250 g ricotta, 300 g mozzarella, 75 g Parmesan
Repeat the layers. Finish with sauce, mozzarella and a generous scattering of Parmesan.

Bake:

Cover loosely with foil. Bake for 40 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake for another 20–25 minutes until golden and bubbling.

Rest and Serve:

Remove from the oven and allow the lasagne to rest for at least 20 minutes. This step helps the layers settle and slice cleanly.
Serve in generous portions with a crisp salad or warm bread. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days and freeze beautifully.

Equipment

Notes

Storage:

Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days. Reheat thoroughly before serving. This lasagne also freezes well for up to 3 months.

Nutrition