Lasagne Bites with De Grendel Shiraz

Elevate your next cocktail party with our Lasagne Bites, a delightful twist on the classic Italian dish. These bite-sized portions, cooked in a muffin pan, combine rich bolognese sauce, tender pasta, and creamy béchamel into perfect finger food.

Infused with the superb flavours of De Grendel Shiraz, both in the sauce and as a pairing, these bites promise a harmonious blend of tastes that will impress your guests. Enjoy the convenience of individual servings without compromising on the comforting indulgence of traditional lasagne.

Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 2 hours | Serves: 6-8

For the Bolognese sauce:

• 300g beef mince
• 300g pork mince
• Olive oil
• 4 sticks celery, finely chopped
• 1 small brown onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• 100g mushrooms, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 300ml De Grendel Shiraz
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 tin whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 beef stock cube
• Sea salt and black pepper

Method

1. In a large pot over high heat, pour in a little olive oil and sauté the celery, onion and carrot until soft. Add in the mushrooms and mince and brown. Add the garlic and thyme and deglaze the pot with the red wine.
2. Simmer for a minute before adding in the tomato paste, chopped tomatoes and tinned tomatoes. Crumble in the stock cube and season with salt and pepper. Put the lid on the pot and simmer over low heat for an hour.

For the lasagne bites:

• 12 dried lasagne sheets
• Readymade cheese sauce or béchamel
• 200g grated Parmesan
• 200g grated Cheddar
• Fresh basil, to serve

Method

1. Set a small pot of water to boil. Have another bowl filled with ice water at the ready and blanch each lasagna sheet – first cooking until al dente in the boiling water, then placing the cooked pasta into the ice bath to stop the cooking process.
2. Drain the lasagne sheets on a clean kitchen towel and cut in half before using.
3. Grease a 12-hole muffin pan and layer the lasagne sheets into each cup. Spoon about a tablespoon of Bolognese sauce into each cup and top with a spoonful of cheese sauce and a sprinkling each of Parmesan and Cheddar.
4. Bake the lasagne bites in a preheated 200°C oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden and bubbling. Scatter over fresh basil leaves and serve the lasagne bites amongst good friends and a few glasses of De Grendel Shiraz.

*Any leftover bolognese sauce can be frozen for future use, or you can make 24 or 36 bites instead of 12 for a larger batch.