Mexican Lasagne with Gran Luchito Smoked Chilli Paste
By Gran Luchito
Published on 24 April 2022
Everyone knows how to make a lasagne and making it Mexican couldn't be easier! Add a dollop of Gran Luchito Smoked Chilli Paste to either the ragu or the cheese sauce (or both of you’re mad on Mexican!) and you've got yourself a real dinner-time treat.For more recipe ideas and inspiration visit http://gran.luchito.com/recipes-and-ideas.Time and servings
3 hrsTotal time
4Servings
30 minsPrep time
2 hrs 30 minsCooking time
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp of plain flour
- 3 tsp of gran luchito smoked chilli paste
- 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, stalks removed
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tsp of sugar
- 1 bay leaves, two
- 250 g of lasagne sheets
- 500 g of beef mince
- 400 g of chopped tomatoes, tinned
- 150 g of smoked streaky bacon
- 6 tomatoes
- 150 g of mature cheddar cheese
- 100 g of butter
- 600 ml of milk
- 1 red onion
- 1 celery, 2 sticks
- 1 carrot
- 3 dashes of olive oil
Method
Step 1
Firstly, pre-heat the oven to about 130C. Put the tomatoes in a roasting tray and cover in a little olive oil, salt & pepper. Put in the oven and roast for about 30 mins.Step 2
Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan over a high heat with a little olive oil. Add the beef mince and leave to get some good colour before stirring and doing the same to the rest of it. Remove the fat as it releases from the cooking meat with a spoon.Step 3
Once browned, remove mince to a dish and return pan to medium heat. Add finely chopped bacon and fry until starting to cook through, stirring continuously.Step 4
After about 5 mins, add the finely chopped/grated carrot, onion, 1 garlic clove, celery, rosemary (extra finely chopped), Gran Luchito Smoked Chilli Paste (hold back 1tsp if you fancy spicing up your cheese sauce too) and a good pinch of salt & pepper. Stir and leave to cook for another 10 mins.Step 5
Add the beef mince and stir well, before adding the chopped tomatoes (fill the tin halfway with water and add this too!) along with the roasted tomatoes from the oven (turn the oven up to 190C). Put a lid on it and leave to cook for at least an hour (preferably 2 or 3).Step 6
Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce. Heat a pan over a low heat and add a lug of olive oil and a large knob of butter. Add finely chopped/grated/minced garlic clove and the bay leaves. Cook for about 4 mins, stirring continuously to avoid burning (it shouldn't go brown, just soften).Step 7
Add the plain flour and stir well. Once mixed to a paste, gradually begin to add the milk, whisking as you go. As it thickens, add more milk.Step 8
Bring to a boil whilst whisking and then lower heat to a simmer and stir in half of the cheese as well as salt & pepper to taste. If you like, add 1tsp of Gran Luchito Smoked Chilli Paste too.Step 9
Half remove the lid from the ragu approximately 20 mins before it will be ready. This will get rid of some of the liquid and concentrate the flavours. Taste and season if necessary.Step 10
When you're happy with the ragu you're ready to build the lasagne. In an oven-proof dish, add about 1/3 of the ragu, followed by 1/4 of the cheese sauce, followed by a layer of broken lasagne sheets. Repeat this 3 times.Step 11
On the final layer of lasagne sheets, add the remaining cheese sauce and sprinkle over the remaining cheese. To make it extra special, add small knobs of butter to the top, as well as a good sprinkle of black pepper.Step 12
Bake in the oven for about 40mins (keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn). If you want it extra crispy on top, pop the grill on at the end for a few minutes.