As part of our efforts to show how #MasarapSwitzerland can be, we are giving away a Nespresso machine to one lucky Facebook follower who can show us their own lasagna with a Swiss touch!

Need ideas? Then read on for a recipe provided by a Swiss chef!

Make sure to use the hashtag #MasarapSwitzerland in your post and tag the Swiss Embassy on Facebook and/or Instagram (SwissEmbassyPhilippines).

Lasagna “al forno” with Swiss Cheeses - Recipe for 6 p people

For the meat sauce

• 500 g Beef, ground 80/20
• 50 g Carrot, finely chopped
• 30 g Celery, finely chopped
• 30 g Leek, finely chopped
• 20 g Onions, chopped finely
• 5 g Garlic chopped finely
• 3 pcs Tomatoes, peeled, deseeded, chopped (alternatively canned chopped tomatoes)
• 40 g Tomato paste
• 250 ml clear beef stock or bouillon
• 5 pcs Basil, leaves only
• 3 g Oregano, leaves only
• 1 pcs Bay leaf
• 60 ml Red wine
• 35 g Flour, all purpose

For the Bechamel

• 250 ml Milk
• 50 ml Cream
• 20 g Flour, all purpose
• 20 g Onions, white, chopped
• 20 g Butter
• 40 g Parmesan cheese, grated
• 50 g Gruyere cheese, shredded
• 50 g Luzern Rahm cheese or Vacherin Fribourg cheese, grated
• 1 pkt Lasagna sheets
• 40 ml Olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper from the mill
• Sugar

Instructions

1. For the meat sauce, in a heavy skillet, heat some olive oil and brown the minced meat in it well. Season with salt and pepper
2. Remove the meat and add the onions and garlic into the same pan. Sautee until translucent, then add the other finely chopped vegetable and sauté further. Season and add the minced meat, sauté for 3-4 more minutes.
3. Add the tomato paste, sauté a further 3 minutes, then add the flour and mix well
4. Deglaze with the wine and add the chopped tomatoes. Add 250 ml beef stock.
5. Bring the sauce to a simmer., stir frequently so the thickened sauce does not burn. Season well and add sugar as little as needed to contrast the acidity of the tomatoes.
6. Gently simmer for 45 minutes to an hour add water if so needed.
7. Chop all herbs and add to the sauce, adjust seasoning and check for appropriate thickness and then set aside to cool.
8. For the bechamel, in a sauté pan, melt the butter.
9. Sautee the onions in the butter until translucent, then add the flour and “cook” over fire until will incorporated but without color.
10. Add the milk and cream and keep stirring until the sauce comes to a boil and thickens. Gently simmer for 20 minutes under frequent stirring, Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
11. Strain through a fine sieve and set aside.
12. Cook the lasagna sheets until well al dente, approximately 8 minutes, strain, cool and set aside. Alternatively, if using “ready to cook” lasagna, then they would be added uncooked to the dish.
13. Drizzle a little olive oil in a fireproof baking dish. Ensure the bottom and the sides are covered with oil to prevent the lasagna from sticking to the dish.
14. Add the first layer of pasta onto the bottom of the dish.
15. Cover the pasta with a generous amount of the meat sauce.
16. Sprinkle the grated gruyere and Luzern Rahm Cheese on top of the meat sauce, sprinkle a little of the bechamel as well on top of the meat sauce.
17. Add the next layer of pasta and repeat the above(#16). It is preferred that there would be at least 4 layers of meat, ending with a layer of pasta.
18. Gently tap the dish onto a flat surface, to ensure all layers are well “aligned’ and air trapped will go out.
19. Speared the remaining bechamel over the entire top lasagna layer. Cover well.
20. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and remaining Gruyere and Luzern Rahm cheese and bake in preheated oven at 160 C for approximately 30 minutes, or until the pasta is fully cooked and the top golden brown gratinated.