Lasagna Cake: A True Italian Masterpiece

Nothing beats homemade lasagna for that authentic taste of Italy. Fresh pasta sheets, creamy béchamel sauce, mozzarella, tomatoes, and tender ground beef come together in perfect harmony to create this Neapolitan delight — a true match made in heaven. When served this delicious dish, the pickiest of eaters among you may have one tiny gripe though: it can look a bit messy on the plate. Thankfully, there's now a solution to this "aesthetic" problem as we've come up with a way of keeping all that saucy goodness in check. We call it the Lasagna Cake and, as you can see, it's a real beauty! You may even feel pangs of remorse when it comes to cutting up this masterpiece.

You'll need:

  • 30 boiled lasagna sheets
  • 3.5 oz salami, sliced
  • 2/3 cup béchamel sauce
  • 1 1/3 cups grated mozzarella

For the pesto:

  • 1 bunch of basil
  • 1/2 cup roasted pine nuts
  • 3/4 cup grated parmesan
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1/2 cup olive oil

For the sauce:

  • 18 oz ground beef
  • 1/2 cup onions, diced
  • 1 clove of garlic, chopped
  • 1 cup tomato sauce
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 tbsp dried basil

Here's how:

  1. Make a circle of lasagne sheets in a large bowl. The sheets should always be slightly overlapping.
  2. The first layer is made up of salami slices. Mix several tablespoons of béchamel sauce with 2/3 cup of grated mozzarella before spreading this mixture on top of the salami slices. Place more lasagna sheets on top of the sauce. A further layer of salami slices, béchamel sauce and lasagna sheets is then added.
  3. To prepare the pesto, chop up all of the ingredients needed for it and mix them. Add several tablespoons of the pesto on top of the lasagna before covering it with more sheets. Now add another layer of pesto and lasagna sheets.
  4. Fry the ground beef for the sauce. Add the onions and garlic to the meat before pouring in the tomato sauce and seasoning with salt, peeper, and oregano. Bring the sauce to a boil and stir in the remaining mozzarella. Spoon a layer of sauce onto the lasagna. After covering the sauce, add a final layer of sauce and lasagna sheets to close up the cake. To finish, fold in any protruding lasagna sheets. Use some béchamel sauce to ensure the lasagna sheets stick together well.
  5. Bake the Lasagna Cake at 300 °F for 20 minutes.

If you can bring yourself to do it, cut this stylish cake into generous slices. There'll certainly be enough to share with friends and family. The lasagna makeover is now complete — our Italian classic finally looks as good as it tastes!

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