These Lasagne Pockets are an innovative take on the traditional layered lasagne casserole we know and have come to love. The handheld pockets are addictively delicious and you definitely won’t be able to have just one!
Ingredients for the recipe are similar to a standard lasagne: Pasta sheets, meat sauce and mozzarella cheese. Where this differs is in the substitution of béchamel sauce (white sauce) for cottage or ricotta cheese. Lasagna Pockets are relatively quick and easy to prepare. Note however, that pre-cooking the sheets of lasagne and then rolling the meat up in the sheets does take some time.
How to wrap your Lasagne Pockets
The pasta strips are arranged in the shape of a cross with the meat sauce and mozzarella placed in the centre. Fold over left side first, then bottom, then right, then top piece and tuck in the top left corner under the top corner of the left side.
Serve with a leafy green salad and warm garlic bread.
CHEF’S TIP:
- Lasagna keeps very well in the freezer and can be thawed and reheated with very little loss of quality. So, if you want to transform your Lasagna Pockets into an easy heat-and-serve meal, freeze them either before or after it is baked.
- Wrap the Lasagne Pockets first in plastic wrap and then in foil, and store them in Ziploc bags.
Lasagne Pockets
Ingredients
- 1 kg lean beef mince
- chopped onion
- crushed garlic glove
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp dried basil
- salt (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
- 50 ml cottage cheese
- 250 ml grated mozzarella cheese
- 250 ml grated cheddar cheese
- 1 packet lasagne sheets
- 1 tbsp butter
- 100 ml hot water
- 10 ml chutney
Instructions
- In a saucepan, heat the butter. Add the onion and garlic. Add the mince. Brown the meat. Season with salt and pepper. Add the tomato paste and dried herbs. Add the chutney. Add the cottage cheese and water. Simmer for 10 minutes over a low heat.
- In a pot, boil water. Add the lasagne sheets, 2 at a time to prevent sticking to each other. After 4 min, remove the sheets and repeat until all of them are cooked.
- Cut each lasagne sheet lengthwise to create 2 pieces. Top each sheet with meat mixture, roll up and place in a greased oven dish. Repeat until all sheets are done.
- Sprinkle all the mozarella and cheddar cheese over the lasagne. Dust with dried origanum.
- Bake at 160°C in pre-heated oven for 20 minutes.