Olive oil for
brushing
For meat sauce:
2 large onions,
chopped (about 2 cups)
3 garlic cloves,
minced
2 tablespoons
olive oil
1 1/2 pounds
ground lamb (preferably 10 per cent fat)
A 28 to 32 ounce
can whole tomatoes with juice
2 tablespoons
tomato paste
1 teaspoon
cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon
ground allspice
For white sauce:
1/2 stick unsalted
butter
5 tablespoons all
purpose flour
4 cups milk
1 large egg,
lightly beaten
An 8-ounce package
feta, crumbled (about 1 1/2 cups)
Twelve 7 by 3
1/2-inch sheets dry no-boil lasagne pasta
Cut eggplant
lengthwise into 1/3-inch thick slices and sprinkle slices on both sides with
salt. arrange eggplant in a large colander and weight it with a heavy bowl.
Drain eggplant 1 hour. Remove bowl and pat eggplant dry.
Set broiler rack
so that eggplant will be about 4 inches from heat and preheat broiler.
Arrange eggplant
in one layer in oiled shallow baking pans and brush with oil. Broil eggplant
until golden, about 3 minutes on each side.
Make meat sauce: In a large heavy
non stick skillet cook onions and garlic in oil over moderate heat, stirring,
until softened. Add lamb and cook, stirring to break up, until it is no longer
pink, about 3 minutes. Stir in remaining meat sauce ingredients and salt and
pepper to taste and simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes. Meat sauce may be made 3 days
ahead, cooled completely, and chilled, covered.
Make white sauce: In a heavy
saucepan melt butter over moderately low heat and whisk in flour until smooth.
Cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes. Whisk in milk in a stream and salt and pepper to
taste and simmer, whisking occasionally, 5 minutes, or until thick. Whisk in
egg, whisking vigorously,
and simmer sauce, whisking, 1 minute. White sauce may
be made 2 days ahead and chilled. Its surface covered with plastic wrap.
Preheat oven to
375 degrees F.
Pour 1 cup meat
sauce into a flameproof baking dish, 13 by 9 by 2 inches (sauce will not cover
bottom completely), and cover with 3 lasagne sheets, making sure they do not
touch each other. Spread about 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over pasta and arrange 1
layer broiled eggplant on top. Gently spread about 1/2 cup white sauce over
eggplant and sprinkle with about 1/3 cup feta. Make 2 more layers in same
manner, beginning and ending with pasta. Spread remaining white sauce evenly
over top pasta layer, making sure pasta is completely covered, and sprinkle with
remaining feta.
Cover dish tightly
with foil, tenting slightly to prevent foil from touching top layer, and bake in
middle of oven 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake lasagne 10 minutes more, or
until top is bubbling. Set broiler rack so that lasagne will be about 4 inches
form heat and preheat broiler. Broil lasagne 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden.
Let lasagne stand 5 minutes before serving. Serves 8 as a main course.