Lasagne 'without the calories' loved by the Hairy Bikers is the perfect hearty meal
The Hairy Bikers revealed a recipe for a healthy "low-calorie" lasagne by ditching pasta and adding one strange ingredient instead.
When the weather turns sub-zero, nothing hits the spot like a hearty, warming meal, but that doesn’t mean you have to pile on the calories. This "skinny" lasagne loved by the Hairy Bikers delivers all the comfort and richness you crave, with layers of slow-cooked flavour and a creamy topping that feels indulgent.
Sharing their recipe on BBC Food, the duo once said: "The pasta is replaced with sheets of blanched leeks so you can have all the deliciousness without the calorie count. This meal provides 354 kcal, 29g protein, 22g carbohydrate (of which 10.5g sugars), 15g fat (of which 7g saturates), 5.5g fibre and 1.7g salt per portion." Discover how to make their recipe below.
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How to make Hairy Bikers' Skinny beef lasagne courtesy of BBC Food
This recipe aims to serve six people and will take less than 30 minutes to prepare and one to two hours to cook.
Alternatively, you can discover how to upgrade your spaghetti bolognese by adding one key ingredient loved by Gordon Ramsay's daughter by clicking here.
Ingredients
- Two large leeks
- Two celery sticks
- Two carrots
- 500g of lean beef mince
- Two garlic cloves
- 150g of chopped chestnut mushrooms
- Two tablespoons of plain flour
- 150ml of red wine
- 200ml of beef stock
- 400g of canned chopped tomatoes
- Two tablespoons of tomato purée
- One teaspoon of dried oregano
- 50g of extra-mature cheddar
- 25g of parmesan
- Three medium vine tomatoes
For the white sauce:
- 500ml of semi-skimmed milk
- Three tablespoons of cornflour
- One medium onion
- Grated nutmeg, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Two bay leaves
Method
To begin, cut the leeks to fit the lasagne dish, splitting them lengthwise in the middle. Remove and finely slice the inner leaves, then separate the outer leaves for later layering.
Fry the minced beef in a non-stick pan without added fat and add the sliced leeks, chopped onion, celery, carrots, and garlic until lightly browned, breaking up the mince as it cooks. Fry this for about 10 minutes, then stir in the mushrooms.
Next, sprinkle over the flour, then gradually add the wine, stock, tomatoes, tomato purée, oregano and a bay leaf. Season generously and simmer until the sauce is rich and thick.
Meanwhile, gently heat the milk with onion wedges and bay to infuse, then thicken with cornflour to make a smooth white sauce, seasoning with nutmeg and black pepper. Blanch the larger leek leaves until they are very tender, then cool and drain them well.
Layer the mince and leeks in a lasagne dish, finishing with the leeks. Pour the white sauce over the dish, top with sliced tomatoes and mixed cheeses, and bake for 30 minutes, until golden and bubbling.
