Welcome to one of my intrusive thoughts.
Honestly, this recipe was developed for one reason only: curiosity. One day while concepting recipes, I had the idea of putting all the flavours of a lasagna into a pie. My thinking was simple - lasagna mince and white sauce are an elite combination, but does it actually need the pasta? Could it work without it? I couldn’t think of a reason why it wouldn’t.
So I designed a recipe and tweaked it to intensify the flavour by turning the usual mince into a slow-cooked ragu. And what pairs best with lasagna? Garlic bread. That’s where the garlic and parsley butter came in, brushed generously over the finished pie.
Not only did it work, it worked really well. It tasted like a hyped-up lasagna pie - even better than I originally planned.
Learn from my mistakes
When building and layering the pie, it’s essential that your ragu filling and white sauce are the same temperature. If one is hotter than the other, the white sauce can split when reheated. This is a mistake I made - one you don’t have to.
Ragu Patients
When it comes to ragu, patience is key. The longer you cook the mince, the deeper and richer the flavours become. You can cook it in half the time and still get a very good result, but if you have the time, take it -
it’s absolutely worth the wait
These Pies All Freeze Well
Simply freeze the pies before you egg wash and bake them. When the day comes that you want it, just take it out of the freezer and give them an egg wash and bake as normal but for an extra few minutes.
As a Meal
When Tess and I eat this, we always make a quick Italian-style salad to serve on the side. It helps balance out the richness of the pie. Here’s what I’d do:
Rocket
Avocado, sliced
Cucumber, sliced
Cherry Tomatoes, halved
1tbsp Olive Oil
1tsp Dijon Mustard
1tsp Honey
1tsp Balsamic Vinegar
2tsp Dried Oregano
Salt & Pepper
Serves 4
