Lasagna with ground beef and vegetables

Lasagna with ground beef and vegetables - a recipe that combines tradition with innovation, bringing an explosion of flavors and textures to your table. This recipe, loved by all cooking enthusiasts, is perfect for a family dinner or a special meal with friends. A perfect lasagna is not just about layers of pasta, but also about a rich sauce and a creamy texture that makes you want to come back to it time and again.

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 50 minutes
Total time: 1 hour and 20 minutes
Number of servings: 8

A brief story about lasagna

Lasagna has a rich history, rooted in traditional pasta recipes. Over time, it has evolved, adapting to available ingredients and local preferences, becoming a symbol of family meals. Today's recipe, rich in meat and vegetables, is a version that adds health and flavor.

Ingredients

For the meat and vegetable sauce:
- 500 g ground beef (ideally passed twice through the meat grinder for a fine texture)
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 6 cloves of garlic, minced
- 8 large tomatoes, blanched and peeled
- 4 bell peppers (green, red, yellow, white), julienned
- 4 small zucchinis, diced
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons mixed spices (pepper, cloves, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, bay leaves)

For the white sauce:
- 1 liter milk
- 60 g butter
- 80 g flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- A pinch of ground nutmeg
- 6 triangles of processed cheese (recommend “La vache qui rit” for a creamy taste)

For assembly:
- 18 sheets of lasagna
- Grated cheese or mozzarella, to taste

Preparation

Step 1: Preparing the meat and vegetable sauce
1. Chopping ingredients: Start by finely chopping the onion and garlic. You can julienne the bell peppers and cut the zucchinis into small pieces for even cooking.
2. Sautéing vegetables: In a non-stick pot, add the olive oil and sauté the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes until translucent. Then, add the bell peppers and zucchinis and continue to sauté for another 5 minutes.
3. Adding the meat: Add the ground beef over the vegetables. Sprinkle with salt and mixed spices. Sauté everything for 5 minutes, stirring frequently to brown evenly.
4. Tomatoes: Add the peeled and chopped tomatoes. Let the sauce simmer on low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 2: Preparing the white sauce
1. Melting the butter: In a pot, melt the butter over low heat. Add the flour and mix well, being careful not to let it brown.
2. Adding the milk: Gradually start adding the milk, continuously whisking to avoid lumps.
3. Seasoning: Add the salt and nutmeg. When the sauce begins to boil, add the processed cheese triangles and stir until completely melted. Continue cooking until the sauce thickens.

Step 3: Preparing the lasagna sheets
1. Boiling sheets: In a large pot of boiling salted water, boil the lasagna sheets for 6 minutes. They will be partially cooked, so don’t worry if they are not fully cooked.
2. Cooling: After boiling, drain the sheets and rinse them under cold water to prevent sticking.

Step 4: Assembling the lasagna
1. Base layer: In a deep baking dish (26x35 cm), add 3-4 tablespoons of the meat and vegetable sauce to cover the bottom.
2. Layers: Place the first layer of lasagna sheets, ensuring they slightly overlap. Cover with a layer of white sauce, followed by a layer of meat and vegetable sauce. Repeat this process to create 3 layers, using 6 sheets of lasagna for each layer.
3. Final layer: On the last layer of lasagna, add white sauce and sprinkle grated cheese or mozzarella. On top, you can add freshly ground pepper for extra flavor.

Step 5: Baking
1. Oven: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Place the dish in the oven and bake for 30 minutes until the lasagna is golden and well browned on top.
2. Cooling: After baking, let the lasagna cool for 10 minutes before cutting it, to stabilize.

Serving
Lasagna is served warm, alongside a fresh green salad or a tomato salad, which will add a pleasant contrast. You can accompany this dish with a glass of dry red wine, which will highlight the rich flavors of the meat sauce.

Useful tips
- Vegetarian option: If you prefer a vegetarian version, you can replace the meat with a mix of vegetables such as mushrooms, spinach, and carrots, and the white sauce can be enriched with goat cheese for added flavor.
- Make-ahead: You can prepare the lasagna in advance and keep it covered in the fridge until you are ready to bake it. This will help intensify the flavors.
- Freezing: Lasagna can be successfully frozen. Pack the portions in sealed containers and keep them for a quick meal on busy days.

Calories and nutritional benefits
A serving of lasagna with beef and vegetables contains approximately 450-500 calories, depending on the ingredients used. It offers a combination of protein from the meat, carbohydrates from the pasta, and fiber from the vegetables, making it a complete and satisfying meal.

Whether you prepare it for a special occasion or simply to treat yourself, lasagna with beef and vegetables is an excellent choice. Enjoy and don’t forget to share this recipe with your loved ones!

 Ingredients: We need: 18 lasagna sheets, grated cheese or grated mozzarella. For the meat sauce with vegetables: 1/2 kg ground beef (passed twice through the meat grinder), 1 onion, 6 cloves of garlic, 8 large tomatoes, 4 peppers of different colors (green, red, yellow, white), 4 small zucchinis, 4 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, 2 teaspoons of mixed ground spices: (pepper, cloves, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, bay leaves). For the white sauce: 1 liter of milk, 60 gm butter, 80 gm flour, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, a pinch of ground nutmeg, 6 triangles of processed cheese (I used La vache qui rit cheese).