SPRING is here so it’s time to invite some friends over and treat them to some delicious home-cooked meals thanks to the legen-dairy team at The Dairy Kitchen, who have shared some of their most popular springtime recipes.
Chicken, Kale and Ricotta Lasagne
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
1 red onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 sticks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
500g chicken mince
200g mushrooms, sliced
Three-quarters of a cup chicken stock
Kale and Ricotta Layer
1 bunch kale, finely sliced
500g tub ricotta
Zest of a lemon
Bechamel Sauce
50g butter
One-quarter of a cup plain flour
2.5 cups milk
8 (375g) fresh lasagne sheets
1 cup grated mozzarella
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (160 degrees Celsius fan forced). Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic and cook for about five minutes or until softened. Add chicken and cook, stirring, to break up into pieces until cooked. Add mushrooms and cook until softened. Add stock and season to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, blanch chopped kale in boiling water for one minute, refresh in cold water and drain well. Mix together with ricotta, lemon zest and season to taste.
3. To make bechamel sauce, melt butter in a small saucepan, add flour and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds to a minute or until flour has cooked slightly. Remove pan from heat. Gradually whisk in the milk, whisking continuously to prevent lumps. Return pan to heat and stir for five minutes or until sauce boils and thickens. Remove from heat and season to taste. Set aside.
4. In a 35cm x 21cm deep baking dish, layer alternating sheets of lasagne with chicken mince, kale and ricotta mixture, finishing with a top layer of pasta. Spread bechamel over to cover and sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
Handy Tip
Try using spreadable ricotta from a tub for this recipe, as it is creamier and softer in consistency, which is ideal for this lasagne. If using a wedge of ricotta, mash with a fork and mix with a little milk to form a soft spreadable consistency.
