Lasagna Braid: All Of The Taste & None Of The Mess
You love lasagna, but when it comes to preparing it yourself, does the workload always makes you think twice? No problem! This recipe not only simplifies the procedure for this classic dish, it even has two major advantages: you don't need a casserole dish and the end result looks so amazing, it's the perfect meal to serve your dinner guests.
You'll need:
- 1 sheet of ready-made puff pastry
- 10 cooked sheets of lasagna
- 12½ oz ricotta
- salt & pepper
- 2 tbsp freshly chopped basil
- 2 tbsp grated parmesan
- bolognese sauce
- 7 oz shredded mozzarella
- 2 beaten eggs for glazing
Here's How:
1. First, lay the pastry on parchment paper on top of your work surface. Turn it so one of the shorter sides is toward you. Lay 4 lasagna sheets crosswise on top of the pastry, leaving a margin all the way round the edge. The lasagna sheets can overlap each other a little.
2. Now mix the ricotta, salt, pepper, basil, and parmesan thoroughly in a bowl. Put 4 large tablespoons in the center of the lasagna sheets and spread the cream evenly over the middle of the pasta.
3. Now spread a layer of bolognese sauce on top of the cream. Sprinkle a third of the mozzarella on top of that.
4. The next layer starts with two lasagna sheets that you place lengthwise on top of the mozzarella. On top of this, one after the other, spread more of the ricotta mix, the bolognese sauce and another third of the mozzarella. Repeat the entire process one more time and finish your stack with two more lasagna sheets that you place on top.
5. Now "pack" the lasagna by wrapping the horizontal lasagna sheets at the sides over everything and gently pressing them down on the top layer of pasta.
6. Now comes the braiding process. For this, first cut away triangles in the upper and lower corners, as shown in the picture below:
7. Then make angled incisions in the pastry on both sides of the roll at regular intervals of just over half an inch. Then fold the upper edge of the pastry over the roll and work your way down, folding the pastry strips over the roll from alternate sides. Fold in the lower edge of the pastry before doing the same with the last strips of dough.
8. Now paint your finished braid with the beaten egg and bake for 25 minutes in a convection oven at 360°F.
For the quickest enjoyment, you can use readymade bolognese sauce and pre-grated cheese. Then you'll have conjured up an incredibly tasty meal in no time, which also looks amazing!
And if this has got you in the mood for savoury meals braided in tasty pastry, you can find the recipe for the Taco Braid here.