Amazing Lasagna with Ham

Hands down the best lasagna recipe I have ever made (Pascal agrees). Don't forget to use all the chicken stock. It will feel like you're pouring too much into the pan, but it will make the lasagna nice and moist, especially as I don't pre-cook them (too much of a waste of time). I've made it in a more classic version as well, simply adding ground beef to the tomato/onion/basil sauce. Mmm....

INGREDIENTS (serves 4):

400g of fresh lasagna pasta sheets
1 onion, chopped
8 slices of ham, cut into fine strips
100 cl of tomato sauce
30 basil leaves, finely chopped
150 g of parmesan, grated
50 cl of chicken stock
pesto
salt, pepper, olive oil
100 cl of bechamel sauce (see any french cookbook to prepare... or call me!)

PREPARATION:

In a heavy pan, heat olive oil and saute onions until tender. Add tomato sauce with two times its amount in water and the basil leaves cut finely. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes. In the mean time, prepare your bechamel sauce.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Place a layer of lasagna in an oven-proof pan, add a layer of the tomato/onion/basil sauce, a layer of bechamel, strip of ham and dabs of the pesto. Cover with a second layer of lasagna and continue in the same fashion.

Finish with a layer of tomato sauce and pesto. Drisle with the chicken stock and place in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

Once cooked thoroughly, cover with the parmesan and leave the pan a few minutes in the oven for the cheese to melt. Serve with salad.

Slightly adapted from www.marmiton.org.