Potato and Ham Lasagne

Cook Time 2 hours

Servings 4

Ingredients

1kg potatoes, finely sliced on a mandoline

400g good quality ham, sliced thinly

Pasta sheets

5 eggs

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

400g Tipo 00 flour, plus extra for dusting

½ cup fine semolina, for dusting and rolling

Bechamel

60g butter

60g plain flour

1L milk

A pinch of nutmeg

180g Buffalotto (or parmesan), coarsely grated

1 ball of mozzarella

Salt and pepper

Method

For the pasta sheets, whisk the eggs and oil together in a bowl. Place the flour and salt into a food processor and drizzle in the egg mixture bit by bit and pulse until a fine crumb form. Remove from the food processor and bring together into a rough ball.

Lightly dust your work surface with some extra flour and semolina. Knead the dough, using the palms of your hands for about 5 - 10 minutes or until it’s silky and bounces back when you push in a finger. Form into a disc, wrap in cling film and rest in the fridge for 1 hour.

In the meantime, make the béchamel by melting the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the flour and with a wooden spoon stir until it forms a roux. Now using a whisk, little by little, add the milk. Bring to the boil then remove from the heat once it thickens. Add the nutmeg, salt and pepper and half of the cheese.

Remove the pasta dough from the fridge and lightly dust the work surface with a little more semolina and flour. Divide the dough into four even pieces. Working with one piece at a time and keeping the others covered with a damp tea towel, lightly flour the dough and feed through the rollers of a pasta machine on the widest setting. Fold the pasta sheet once or twice and feed through the machine again until smooth. Reduce the settings, notch by notch, and continue to feed the sheet through until you reach the last notch and the sheets are about 2 mm thick. Cut the pasta sheet in half.

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Spread a few spoonfuls of bechamel into a baking dish. Arrange two layers of potato, then some ham, a drizzle of bechamel and sprinkle cheese over. Add a layer of pasta sheets, trimming to fit in one single layer. Repeat the process so you have 4 - 5 layers and finish off with bechamel and cheese.

Cover with foil and cook for 35 - 40 minutes. Remove foil and cook for a further 25 - 30 minutes or until it’s bubbling and golden brown.

Rest for 20 minutes before serving.