Simple Ham and Ricotta Lasagne

Yum, yum, yum.  I made this last weekend and it did us for two nights which is always great.  Using ham rather than bolognese and ricotta rather than bechamel, such simple prep and ingredients making it a quick and easy version of a favourite.  This will be a winner with the kiddos.

Ingredients

1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 large handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

6 large vine-ripened tomatoes (about 1 kg), cut into 1cm slices

350g fresh ricotta cheese

1½ cups cream

1 egg, lightly beaten

250g (1¾ cups) grated mozzarella cheese

250g sliced leg ham, off the bone

9 sheets of instant lasagne (about 175 g/6 oz in total)

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Combine the olive oil, garlic and 1 tablespoon of the parsley in a bowl and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Add the tomato slices and gently toss to coat.  Set aside.

Put the ricotta, cream, egg and remaining parsley in a bowl and beat until smooth using a wooden spoon.  Season well.

Lay one-third of the tomato slices in a deep baking dish measuring about 27 × 19 cm.  Scatter a quarter of the mozzarella over.  Lay one-third of the ham over the mozzarella and spread one-third of the ricotta mixture over the ham.  Top with a single layer of lasagne sheets, cutting them to fit if necessary.  Repeat the layers with the remaining ingredients, finishing with a sprinkling of mozzarella on top.

Cover with foil, then bake for 25 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for 30–40 minutes longer, or until the cheese is golden and the lasagne is tender.  Allow to stand for a few minutes before cutting into serving portions.  Serve hot.

Serves 4-6