Eleanor Wilkinson’s one portion lasagne recipe

“I feel as though I shouldn’t really have favourite recipes in this book as they are all very dear to me, but this lasagne holds a special place in my heart,” says Eleanor Wilkinson, author of One Pot, One Portion. “Just don’t mention it in Italy, OK?”

“A traditionally time-consuming, somewhat strenuous dish that leaves a mountain of washing-up, this version, though not traditional, fully replicates the flavours and feel of a layered lasagne in a simple, stress-free way.”

Lasagne

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

Extra virgin olive oil
½ white onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, finely diced or grated
1tbsp tomato purée
125g beef mince (you could also use a vegetarian mince)
200g tinned tomatoes
½ beef stock pot
100ml water
½tsp dried mixed herbs
75g fresh lasagne sheets
60g mascarpone
60g mozzarella, grated
Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Add a little olive oil to a small ovenproof frying pan or baking dish on a medium heat and fry off the onion for around 5 minutes until softened and golden. Add in the garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

2. Squeeze in the tomato purée and cook for 2 minutes before adding in the beef mince and cooking until browned.

3. Add in the tinned tomatoes, stock pot, water and mixed herbs. Let this simmer and reduce for around 15 minutes over a low heat. While this is cooking, preheat the grill to 200°C.

4. Cut the fresh lasagne sheets into quarters. Once the sauce is rich and reduced, taste and season well with salt and pepper, then mix in the lasagne sheets and cook for 3-4 minutes with the lid off until they are cooked but still al dente. Take off the heat and spoon dollops of mascarpone on top, then cover with the grated mozzarella. Grill for 10–15 minutes until golden and bubbling.

One Pot, One Portion by Eleanor Wilkinson is published by Ebury Press, priced £22. Photography by Dan Jones. Available now.