I make lasagna often. It’s no big deal. Just a basic bolognese sauce, layered with dried lasagna sheets and topped with bechamel sauce. I always use tinned tomatoes but if I have the excess tomatoes, I’ll make big batches of passata to use in my bolognese and other tomato based pasta sauces.
I was clearing out the fridge one day when I came across way too many tomatoes. They were getting a little soft and maybe not so nice for salads so I decided to incorporate them straight into the ground beef for the lasagna that night. It was way quicker than deseeding them, peeling them, trying to bottle or freeze them.
I roughly chopped them with onion, garlic, basil, oregano, salt and pepper (and a couple tablespoons of sugar) and then mixed them with the browned beef. That was it.
The tomato taste was lovely and fresh and made a nice sauce for the lasagna. I did overcook this one and the top got a little brown. Here’s a link to my Beef and Eggplant Lasagna that will give you quantities and the recipe for bechamel sauce. Never throw those older tomatoes away. Cook them up into a pasta sauce.
You know Anne I've never cooked a lasagne it's one of those meals where I shudder at how many steps there are for the end result. I do however always have an abundance of tinned tomatoes and regularly make passata with leftover whole tomatoes.
Looks like we were on the same thought train again Anne! Looks so yum! Love the look of the eggplant version too – will bookmark that one for when we have a few in the garden! 🙂
a beautiful way to use up those almost-gone tomatoes!!!
Yum! I love cooking with tomatoes, they do give that fresh light taste.
Just perfect Ann…both my son and daughter love lasagna! Bon Appetit!
that's a great idea! I love the taste of fresh tomatoes.
WOW, lasagna is one of those meals that you can feel the chef's love in every bite!
Lovely! What a great way to use up almost past their best tomatoes!
Anne, what a great idea to use fresh tomatoes in the lasagna, this looks delicious, can't wait to try it.
Is it starting to warm up there, although it is still hot here we are starting to think about fall and winter. It is always good to see you!
Thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and have a good week!
Miz Helen
We have fresh tomatoes everywhere right now! Love this, Anne! Thanks so much for linking up to All My Bloggy Friends last week – I hope you'll join us again tomorrow. I look forward to seeing what you've been working on this week! 🙂