Rieti-style lasagne
“Italian recipes with simple ingredients help keep these families cooking.”
For the passata
- small onion
- olive oil
- 440g can of diced tomatoes
- chopped basil
- season with salt and pepper
For the lasagne
- Cut 3 large fresh mozzarellas (not buffalo mozzarella)
- 150g parmesan
- 350g of fresh lasagne sheets
Nicholas Care, chief executive of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Sydney, was raised in Rome but has made Australia his home for the past 25 years. His parents, Cesare and Maria Care, still live in Rome. He says Roman food tends to be simple, focusing on the purity of fresh ingredients.
Method
For the passata
Saute a small onion in olive oil. Add a can of diced tomatoes, some chopped basil and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5-10 minutes.
For the lasagne
Cut mozzarellas into small cubes. Grate parmesan.
Cut lasagne sheets into pieces of about 10x5cm, boil in salted water briefly and dry them on a clean cotton tea towel.
Reheat the oven to 180C. Spread 1-2 ladles of passata into a large oven dish measuring about 50 x 30cm and 6cm high. Line it with sheets of pasta, cover with mozzarella, some parmesan and a little sauce in layers. Repeat this 2-3 times, making the top layer mozzarella.
Bake for 25-30 minutes. The top layer should look lovely and golden. Let it rest for 10-15 minutes and serve with a simple green salad.
Serves 4