We’re not above an alternative lasagne here at HuffPost UK (though when we want something classically delicious, we reckon only Nigella’s version will do).
Mary Berry speeds up the dish by subbing out the traditional white sauce in her midweek version, for instance.
She’s even been known to replace the lasagne sheets with tortillas before.
But Jamie Oliver’s busy-weeknight veggie version of lasagne includes one of Italy’s biggest no-nos ― it’s key to creating the “scruffy” look of his signature recipes.
What’s the secret?
Jamie snaps the lasagne sheets apart if dry, or rips them if fresh, to make the dish.
He starts off by frying some leeks and then making a quick sort of cheese sauce by adding flour, milk, and cheese to the pan.
After that, he adds veggies like peas and broccoli to the dish and “snaps in” the sheets. He places breadcrumbs and cheese on the lot before placing it in the oven.
A similar recipe for a “scruffy” aubergine lasagne sees him rip fresh lasagne sheets into the pot.
“I’m gonna grab [the fresh sheets] like a pack of cards and tear it,” he said in his YouTube video for scruffy veg lasagne.
The method speeds up the cooking process and means you don’t have to parboil the sheets, ensuring the dish stays one-pan.
Plus, the chef promises: “This will be absolutely like a lasagne when you serve this at the table.”
A top-liked comment underneath the YouTube video reads: “Jamie shouldn’t be allowed to set foot in Italy ever again after calling this abomination a lasagna.”
“Jamie made [the] whole [of] Italy cry,” another commenter opined.
A lot of Italian lasagne isn’t what most Brits think, though
It can be a little surprising to watch someone shred pasta sheets for their lasagne ― but those outside of Italy often have quite a limited view of what the dish means, Encylopedia Britannica’s site says.
For instance, a traditional Neopolitan lasagne can contain sliced boiled eggs and meatballs, while a Genoan kind sees pesto take the place of marinara.
Still, none mention snapping their sheets during assembly…
