Hairy Bikers Celebratory Lasagne

Hairy Bikers lasagne is a layered celebration dish packed with pork meatballs, fennel sausage, ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan, baked at 200°C for 45–50 minutes. It serves 8 and takes about 2 hours including chilling and assembly.

This comes from The Hairy Bikers’ Mediterranean Adventure (2017), and it’s clearly a favourite. The headnote says people can barely read the recipe in their copy because the page is “so spattered with sauce.” It was popular enough to be included again in The Best of The Hairy Bikers.

What sets this apart from a standard lasagne is the meatballs and sausage sitting between the layers. Si and Dave brown them first, then simmer everything in tomato sauce for 10 minutes before building the dish. That pre-cook keeps the meat moist through 50 minutes of oven time.

Hairy Bikers Celebratory Lasagne

Recipe by Pinch PerfectCourse: DinnerCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

50

minutes

Cooking time

45

minutes

Calories

795

kcal

Total time

1

hour 

45

minutes

A three-cheese, two-meat Italian lasagne from The Hairy Bikers’ Mediterranean Adventure (2017). Built in a 25 x 35cm dish with three layers of pasta, pork meatballs and fennel sausage rounds tucked between sheets of ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan. Rest it 10 minutes before cutting so each slice holds its shape.

Ingredients

• For the meatballs:

• 150g minced pork

• 50g breadcrumbs

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

• 1 tsp dried sage

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 1 egg

• 2 tbsp milk

• grating of nutmeg

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• salt and black pepper

• To assemble:

• 4 large sausages (preferably Italian style with fennel seed)

• 1 quantity of tomato sauce (see note below)

• 18 dried lasagne sheets, or fresh pasta sheets

• 300g ricotta cheese

• 600g mozzarella

• 200g Parmesan, grated

• bunch of basil, shredded (reserve a few whole leaves)

Directions

• Make the meatballs: Put all the meatball ingredients, except the olive oil, in a bowl and season generously with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly, then form into small balls of about 20g each. You should get 18–20. Chill for 30 minutes. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or frying pan (it needs to be big enough to hold the tomato sauce later) and brown the meatballs briefly on all sides. Remove from the pan.
• Fry the sausage: Skin the sausages and shape them into small rounds about the same size as the meatballs. Fry on all sides. Put the meatballs back in the pan and pour over the tomato sauce. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Prepare for assembly: Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. You’ll need an oven dish or roasting tin about 25 x 35cm. If using fresh lasagne, roll it out and cut into 6 sheets, each the length of your dish.
• Layer 1: Remove the meatballs and sausages from the sauce with a slotted spoon. Ladle about a quarter of the tomato sauce into the bottom of your dish, then cover with 2 sheets of fresh pasta or 6 dried sheets. Top with the next quarter of sauce, then half the meatballs and sausage. Spoon 100g of ricotta in teaspoons between the meat, sprinkle over 100g mozzarella and 50g Parmesan, followed by some basil.
• Layer 2: Add another layer of pasta and repeat with the next quarter of sauce, the rest of the meat, another 100g each of ricotta and mozzarella, 50g Parmesan and more basil.
• Top and bake: Finish with pasta and the remaining sauce. Top with the rest of the ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan. Tuck a few basil leaves in so they’re not too exposed. Bake for 45–50 minutes until brown and bubbling. Leave to stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Notes

• Tomato sauce note: Si and Dave reference their own tomato sauce recipe from the book. A good all-purpose Italian tomato sauce works well: fry a chopped onion and 3 garlic cloves in olive oil, add 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes, 2 tbsp tomato purée, a pinch of sugar, salt and pepper, and simmer for 20–30 minutes until thick.
• Calories (estimated): Meatballs: pork 150g (~300) + breadcrumbs 50g (~175) + egg (~78) + milk (~18) + olive oil 30ml (~240) = ~823. Sausages 400g (~1,120). Tomato sauce ~400 (estimated). Pasta 18 sheets (~1,080). Ricotta 300g (~414). Mozzarella 600g (~1,692). Parmesan 200g (~836). Total: ~6,365 kcal ÷ 8 = ~796 kcal → 795 kcal per serving. Tomato sauce calories are estimated since the companion recipe is not available online. No calories listed on the official site.

FAQs

What tomato sauce should I use?

Si and Dave reference their own tomato sauce recipe from Mediterranean Adventure, but any good Italian-style tomato sauce works. You need enough to divide into four portions across the layers, so about 800ml–1 litre total.

Fry onion and garlic in olive oil, add two tins of tomatoes, a spoonful of purée and a pinch of sugar, then simmer until thick. Season well, since this sauce carries flavour through the whole lasagne. If you’ve made the Hairy Bikers chilli con carne, you’ll recognise the base-building technique.

Why simmer the meatballs in the sauce first?

Si and Dave simmer them for 10 minutes before assembly, and they explain exactly why. It keeps the meatballs and sausage moist during the 45–50 minutes of oven time and adds meaty flavour to the tomato sauce itself.

Skipping this step risks dry, chalky meatballs buried inside the lasagne. The simmer also lets the tomato sauce absorb the pork fat and sausage juices. That’s how the finished dish ends up tasting richer than its ingredients suggest.

Can I use dried pasta instead of fresh?

Yes, and Si and Dave give you both options. For dried sheets, use 18 across the three layers (6 per layer). For fresh, cut 6 large sheets to the length of your dish (2 per layer). Dried sheets don’t need pre-cooking since the sauce and cheese provide enough moisture.

Fresh pasta gives a silkier, more delicate layer that melts into the sauce. Dried gives firmer structure that holds up better when you slice and serve, which matters for a dish this large. For 8 people at a celebration, I find dried sheets easier to manage and more forgiving if your timing slips.

Why rest it for 10 minutes before cutting?

Si and Dave say each serving “should stand up well without being sloppy,” and the resting time is how you get there. The cheese sets slightly as the lasagne cools, which acts like glue between the layers.

Cut into it straight from the oven and the sauce runs, the layers slide and you end up with a puddle on the plate. Ten minutes is enough for everything to firm up while still being hot. Cover loosely with foil so the top doesn’t dry out.

Can I make this ahead?

Assemble the full lasagne, cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking. Add 10–15 minutes to the cooking time since it’s going in cold. The flavour benefits from the extra resting time as the sauce soaks into the pasta.

You can also freeze the assembled dish for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before baking. The Hairy Bikers mushroom pasta bake doesn’t freeze as well because of its mascarpone sauce, but this tomato-based lasagne handles it perfectly.

How do I store leftover lasagne?

Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat portions in the microwave until piping hot throughout. For the whole dish, bake at 180°C for 20 minutes under foil, then 5 uncovered to crisp the top.

The flavour improves on day two as the sauce continues to meld with the pasta and cheese. This is one of those rare dishes that actually tastes better as leftovers than it does fresh. If you’re making this for a party, cooking it a day ahead and reheating is a perfectly valid strategy.