Spicendipity: Recipes for Irish Artisan Spice Mixes, Sauces and Baking Mixes

This is a wonderfully hearty meal with similar flavours to a lasagna. Kids love the cannelloni tubes and it makes for a fun way to get lots of protein into them!

Ingredients
For the ragu:

• Olive oil
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1 stalk celery, finely diced
• 2 onions, diced
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 lb sausage meat
• 2 tbsp Italian Seasoning
• Grating fresh nutmeg
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 2 cups tomato sauce (passata)
• 1 tbsp sugar (or more to taste)
• salt
• pepper

Heat olive oil in medium saucepan and add the vegetables. Saute until slightly softened and add meat. Brown and ensure that any clumps are broken up. Add seasoning and saute for a minute or two until aroma is released. Add in tomatoes, tomato sauce and sugar. Lower heat to medium-low and allow to gently simmer for an hour or so. Season to taste.

For the bechamel:

• 4 tbsp butter
• 4 tbsp flour
• 2.5 cups milk
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
• grating nutmeg
• white pepper
• salt

Heat butter in medium saucepan. Once melted, add flour and stir for 2-3 minutes to form a light roux. Gradually whisk in the milk and bring to a boil until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in cheese and seasonings.

To assemble:

• 1 box cannelloni tubes
• Bechamel Sauce
• Ragu Sauce
• 2 balls buffalo mozzarella, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
• Pinch paprika

Grease a large oven dish. Carefully spoon the ragu into the cannelloni tubes. I find the best way to do this is to hold the tube vertically with it’s bottom end in the oven dish. Once filled move it to position whilst upright and then lay it down. This ensures the mixture remains in the tube.

Once tubes are filled, spoon any remaining ragu over top of the tubes as pictured above.

Pour bechamel on top of the cannelloni and top with the mozzarella and parmesan. Sprinkle with seasoning and paprika for a colourful finish.

Cover with greased foil and bake at 200C/400F for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for a further 5-10 minutes or until pasta is tender. Serve with garlic bread!

Lasagna is one of the most popular ready meals out there. Lasagna kits are extremely popular. Although the red sauce is not too bad when bought in a jar, the white sauce is full of chemicals and junk. This home-made version will be in the oven before you’ve been to the shop and back to pick up the ready-made variety. I guarantee it will taste better too. For the super-quick version, leave out the carrots and celery, as the chopping takes some time, nor are they absolutely necessary for flavour. I add them more to get some hidden vegetables into the children than for the sake of taste, but don’t skimp on the onion.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef (or 1/2 pound each beef and pork)
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 2 carrots diced or shredded (optional)
• 2 stalks of celery, finely diced (optional)
• 1 clove garlic, finely diced
• 1 can tomatoes
• 1/2 large jar passata
• 2 tbsp Italian Seasoning
• Dash of red wine (optional)
• 4 tbsp butter
• 4 tbsp flour
• 2 cups / 16 fl. oz milk
• 2 large handfuls grated parmesan cheese
• grating nutmeg (optional)
• 3-4 balls mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 box lasagna noodles

Pre-heat oven to 200C/400F.

Brown the beef with the onion and other vegetables, if using, in a large saucepan. Once cooked, drain fat and add in the tomatoes, red wine, garlic, seasoning and passata. Allow to simmer while you prepare the bechamel (white sauce.)

Melt the butter in a separate saucepan and slowly whisk in flour. Allow to cook for a minute or two, whisking the entire time. Gradually whisk in the milk and bring to a boil. The sauce should begin to thicken towards boiling point. Once it begins to boil, remove from heat and whisk in the first handful of parmesan cheese and nutmeg, if using. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon a think layer of meat sauce into an square oven-proof dish. Add a layer of lasagna noodles and drizzle with a thin layer of the bechamel sauce. Repeat until all the meat sauce is used up and top with a final layer of bechamel. Slice the balls of mozzarella and lay them on the top layer. Sprinkle remaining parmesan over top.

Bake for 30-45 minutes or until noodles are tender. Allow to sit a few minutes before serving. Serve with some crusty garlic bread.