Lasagna with Crêpes and Meat Sauce (Italian Timballo alla Teramano)

This antique lasagna recipe is the ultimate pasta dish with a twist that will change the way you think of lasagna. Enjoyed by Italian families for generations, it is created with an almost infinite number of hand-made crêpes and filled with mince, cheese, freshly simmered tomato sauce and a little more cheese. There is only one rule when making this stupendous Italian family recipe: Add as many layers as you can.

30-35 fresh crêpes
3 large fresh mozzarella balls
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (200 g)
ground pork and veal (600 g)
½ onion, chopped
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2-4 fresh basil leaves
pinch kosher salt
butter
fresh tomato passata (1 L)
1 egg

Dice up 3 large balls of mozzarella into cubes and put them to the side.

Put the saucepan on a medium heat and once it warms, add 3 Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil and the chopped onion. Let this simmer for a few minutes, then add the tomato passata.

Stir the sauce using a wooden spoon and leave to cook for about half an hour.

Place a medium size fry pan on medium heat and add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Once this has begun to warm up, add in the mincemeat, breaking it down with a fork. Sprinkle a few pinches of salt into the mincemeat and keep breaking it up. Let this cook for a few minutes or until brown. Don't cook the meat for too long or it will dry out. Remember, it will have another chance to cook through in the oven.

Line the baking tray with butter using a single cube to spread it all over. This will prevent the lasagna from sticking to the tray when it is cooking.

In a separate bowl, crack an egg and whisk well. Then, add 2 pinches of salt and 50mL of milk. Mix once again. Once the sauce and mince have each started to cool, you can commence assembling the lasagna.

Before you start assembling the lasagna, preheat your oven to 355°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4).

Assembly:
Line the bottom of the baking tray carefully with your freshly made crêpes. Then, line the sides of the tray with another set of crêpes, making half cover the side of the tray, and the other half should then fold over the edge.

Add as many crêpes as you need to ensure there are no spaces uncovered. Sprinkle lots of cubes of mozzarella onto the bottom of the baking tray, then add a few large spoonful's of tomato sauce. Be careful not to use too much sauce as it will make the lasagna recipe very soggy.

Using a spoon, add some mincemeat to this layer, sporadically - it doesn't have to be too much. Next, add a generous amount of grated Parmigiano cheese and keep adding.

Dip a crêpe into your egg milk mix that was prepared earlier and then let the excess drain off. Place this crêpe on top of the first layer, then dip another crêpe into the mix and use it to create your first layer.

Repeat steps until all your crêpes are finished (or your lasagna is so tall it is the height of the tray.)

On every second layer, add a few small cubes of butter as this will help to keep the ingredients moist once the lasagna recipe is cooking in the oven, and it also adds extra flavour.

Once you have reached the final layer, fold the crêpes that were over the edge, back on top of the lasagna, covering it up nice and tightly.

Using a large spoon, drizzle extra tomato sauce on top and spread it thinly - don't pour it on as it will make the lasagna soft and wet. Add a few extra pieces of mozzarella cheese on top.

Make up to 6 slits through the lasagna using a sharp knife and pour a small amount of the egg/milk mix into each one. This helps the lasagna recipe to cook through really well.

Cook the lasagna in the preheated oven for about 1 hour.

Makes 6 servings.