Lasagne pastachina
Prep time: 2 hrs Total time: 
Lasagne pastachina
‘This is my mum’s recipe. It’s a dish people make on a Sunday or a special occasion. We would cut and pan-fry leftovers, which is even better.'
Prep time: 2 hrs Total time: 
Francesco Mazzei
Francesco is chef-founder of luxury London restaurant Mezzogiorno by Francesco Mazzei at Corinthia London, which brings southern Italian soul to the capital.
Francesco Mazzei
Francesco is chef-founder of luxury London restaurant Mezzogiorno by Francesco Mazzei at Corinthia London, which brings southern Italian soul to the capital.
Ingredients
For the tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1½ garlic cloves, crushed
- 600g tomato passata
- 10g basil, leaves picked
- 40g ’nduja, broken into small pieces
For the meatballs
- 100g crustless rustic bread
- 120ml whole milk
- 150g lamb mince (we used 20% fat)
- 25g pecorino romano, finely grated
- ½ garlic clove, crushed
- 10g flat-leaf parsley, leaves chopped
For the vegetables
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large or 2 small aubergines (about 500g), cut into 2cm chunks
- 2 x 200g packs baby leaf spinach
For the béchamel sauce
- 35g unsalted butter, plus extra to grease
- 40g plain flour
- 550ml whole milk
- freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
To assemble
- 6 medium eggs
- 1 x 250g pack fresh egg lasagne sheets
- 250g mozzarella, torn
- 100g pecorino romano, finely grated
Step by step
-
For the tomato sauce, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion and garlic over a medium heat for 4-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the passata and basil, season and bring to a simmer. Cook gently over a low heat for 1 hour, adding a splash of water (if necessary) and stirring every now and again, until thickened.
-
Meanwhile, tear the bread into chunks, then put in a bowl and pour over the milk. Turn to coat and let soak for 1 minute. Squeeze the bread of excess milk, then put in a bowl, crumbling into smaller pieces (you can strain the excess milk and use in the béchamel sauce, if you like). Add the mince, pecorino, garlic and parsley. Season, then mix well with your hands until combined. Roll into mini meatballs (about 15g each). Set aside in the fridge.
-
Bring a pan of water to the boil, then lower in the eggs and cook for 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to plunge the eggs into a bowl of iced water. Peel once cooled and chop into small pieces.
-
For the vegetables, heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over a high heat. Add the aubergine, season and sauté for 8-10 minutes, stirring regularly, until golden. Add the spinach, season with salt and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until wilted and the excess water has evaporated. Set aside.
-
Stir the ’nduja into the tomato sauce and let it melt. Lower in the meatballs and simmer for 7-8 minutes until cooked through. Set aside.
-
For the béchamel, melt the butter in a pan, add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually pour in the milk, whisking continuously, until smooth. Cook for about 5 minutes, still whisking, until thickened. Season with salt, black pepper and nutmeg, to taste.
-
Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6. Butter a rectangular oven dish (about 30cm x 23cm x 6cm). Arrange a base layer of 2 lasagne sheets, then spoon over half the tomato sauce and meatballs, half the torn mozzarella, half the veg, and half the eggs. Spoon over half the béchamel sauce and sprinkle generously with half the pecorino. Top with another layer of lasagne sheets, followed by the remaining tomato meatball sauce, mozzarella, veg and eggs. Finish with a final layer of lasagne sheets followed by the remaining béchamel and pecorino.
-
Bake for 40-45 minutes until bubbling and golden. Leave to stand for 10 minutes before serving.
This dish is traditionally made with deep-fried aubergine. To try it this way, heat 300ml vegetable oil in a saucepan to 180°C. In a bowl, toss the aubergine chunks with 2 tablespoons of plain flour. Lower into the oil with a slotted spoon and fry for 3 minutes. Drain on kitchen roll and sprinkle with salt.
