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Nanna’s Lasagne Recipe

The Nanna Diaries

Entertaining

Main meals
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This is the dish Nanna is famous for — the one that fills the house with that unmistakable Sunday scent, and draws the whole family near. Rich, saucy, and layered with love (and now, vegan cheese), this lasagne is tradition, reimagined.

You will need

Serves 6-8

For the Bolognese sauce:

  • 1 carrot
  • 2 celery stalks
  • 1 brown onion
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1-2 tablespoon Italian herbs
  • 2-3 fresh basil leaves
  • 2-3 bay leaves, dried or fresh
  • 340g vegan mince or burger patties (we used Beyond Meat)
  • 125ml red wine
  • 700g bottle passata (we used Mutti)
  • 400g diced tomatoes
  • Salt and pepper

For the lasagne:

  • 1 pack lasagne sheets (we used Barilla)
  • 3 vegan eggs (we used McKenzie's Egg Replacer)
  • 1 cup vegan parmesan, divided among layers and topping
  • 1- 1 1/2 cups vegan mozzarella shreds

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Directions

30 mins to prep

2 hours to cook

  1. Step 1

    Finely dice the carrot, celery, and onion. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced vegetables, Italian herbs, basil, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Cook until soft and fragrant.

  2. Step 2

    Add the vegan mince. Break it up with a wooden spoon and cook until browned. Pour in the wine and cook until it has mostly evaporated.

  3. Step 3

    Add the passata. Fill the empty passata bottle about 3/4 full with water, swirl to rinse, and pour into the pan. Add diced tomatoes and stir.

  4. Step 4

    Taste and adjust seasoning. Once it starts bubbling, simmer on medium heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally with the lid partially on. This will stop the vegan meat from absorbing all the liquid.

  5. Step 5

    Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).

  6. Step 6

    Boil lasagne sheets according to package instructions. Add a little bit of oil to the water to prevent the lasagne sheets from sticking together. Lay them flat on clean tea towels to dry. (Pre-cooking improves texture.)

  7. Step 7

    Prepare the vegan egg replacer according to the packet instructions. Grate mozzarella if needed.

  8. Step 8

    Spread a thin layer of Bolognese sauce on the base of a medium ceramic baking dish (about 32cm x 23cm). Arrange lasagne sheets on top (usually three across).

  9. Step 9

    Add a layer of sauce, mozzarella, parmesan, and a few spoonfuls of egg replacer, focusing on the corners and edges.

  10. Step 10

    Repeat layering: pasta sheets, sauce, cheeses, and egg replacer. Alternate the direction of the pasta sheets for better structure.

  11. Step 11

    For the final layer, use only lasagne sheets, sauce, and a sprinkle of parmesan.

  12. Step 12

    Cover with baking paper and foil. Bake for 40–60 minutes until bubbling and golden on top.

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Recipe: Nanna Mirella

Photography: Brendan Cherry

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