Each year my husband's employer gives the staff a hamper for Christmas, including a huge ham. The ham is way to big for the three of us, so I end up carving it up and freezing it. Frozen ham tends to be a bit watery, but it is better than wasting it. The night that I carved the ham I kept some aside to make this recipe. I did this in the slow cooker, but you could do it in the oven. Recipe is adapted from My Kitchen - Slow Cooker.
Lasagne with lemon, ham and basil:
olive oil, for brushing
690ml jar tomato passata(puree)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
150g grated cheddar cheese
50g grated parmesan or romano
1 handful basil, chopped
1tsp grated lemon rind or dried lemon verbena
150 g shaved ham
250g instant lasagne sheets or fresh lasagne sheets
50g butter
1 1/2 tablespoons plain flour
2 cups milk
Lightly brush the bowl of a slow cooker with olive oil.
Mix together the passata and garlic.
Make a white sauce: melt the butter. Remove from heat and mix in the flour. Replace on the heat and cook for one minute until flour is lighter in colour. Slowly add milk, whisking to avoid making it lumpy. Continue stirring until mixture thickens. Add 125g of the grated cheddar cheese, parmesan, basil and lemon rind. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Spoon 1/3 of the passata mixture into the slow cooker, then top with 1/3 of the ham and 1/4 of the white sauce. Arrange a single layer of lasagne sheets on top.
Repeat for the second layer.
For the final layer, spoon remaining passata, ham and another 1/4 of the white sauce and a layer of lasagne sheets into the slow cooker. Spread remaining 1/4 of the white sauce over the top and sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese.
Cover and cook on low for 3 hours or until the pasta is tender.
I have kept the bone that the ham came on to make some pea and ham soup, although with it being summer, it is not really the weather for soup.
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