Cheesy ham hock, spinach & ricotta lasagne
By Esther Clark
Contains pork – recipe is for non-Muslims only
Try a twist on lasagne and combine creamy ricotta, spinach and nutmeg with ham hock to make an easy dinner. It’s ideal for feeding a hungry crowd
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Prep:35 mins
Cook:1 hrs 10 mins
- Serves 6
- Easy
Nutrition per serving
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kcal 606
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fat 30g
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saturates 18g
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carbs 47g
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sugars 10g
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fibre 3g
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protein 36g
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salt 2.4g
Ingredients
- 70g butter
- 70g plain flour
- 1l whole milk
- 1 bay leaf
- 80g grated parmesan or gruyère
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- 600g spinach
- 250g ricotta
- 1 whole nutmeg, for grating
- 300g ham hock, shredded, or thick-cut ham, chopped
- 12 dried lasagne sheets
- 50g grated mozzarella
Method
Melt the butter in a pan until foaming, then stir in the flour to make a paste. Cook for 2 mins. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the milk. Add the bay leaf, return to the heat, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 4-5 mins, whisking continuously until thickened. Remove from the heat and whisk in 50g parmesan, the mustard and cayenne pepper. Season to taste.
Put the spinach in a large pan with 50ml boiling water, cover and leave for 2-3 mins to wilt. Drain and leave to cool. Put the spinach in a clean tea towel and squeeze out any excess water. Transfer to a food processor and pulse to roughly chop, then add the ricotta and pulse again to combine. Grate in some nutmeg, then season.
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Remove the bay leaf from the sauce, then spoon a third into the bottom of a 24 x 28cm baking dish. Top with a third of the ricotta and spinach mixture, a third of the ham, then 4 lasagne sheets (overlap them slightly if needed). Repeat with the remaining ingredients, finishing with a layer of sauce. Top with the remaining parmesan and the mozzarella. Bake for 45-50 mins or until golden, covering halfway through if it’s starting to brown.
