This pork and leek lasagna is down right divine! If you’re looking for a tasty and fulfilling meal, this is the recipe for you. Flavourful pork sausages, aromatic caramelised leek, a tasty decadent cheese sauce… all tangled up in a well loved carb, pasta of course!
Now, I know I just posted another lasagna recipe (One Pot Lasagna) but these two dishes could not be more different!
Key Ingredients
Fresh Ingredients
- Leek is one of the two stars in this dish. You will probably notice leek features in quite a few of my recipes, and I think it is definitely an underrated vegetable. The leeks are sauteed and caramelised until lightly golden, and bring a gorgeous sweetness to the dish.
- Aromatics are the classic garlic and onion combo. Technically leek is also an aromatic, but I thought it deserved its own feature. Onion and garlic help build the base for the flavour of this dish, adding a sweet and savoury depth to the dish.
- Spinach gives a brilliant pop of green, and brings extra boost in nutrients.
- Pork in the form of a sausage! Using sausage over mince brings an additional flavour and texture to the dish. We have been buying meat from the butchers for a while now, and our local butcher has different weekly sausage flavours – and it just so happened they had a pork and leek flavour this time, crazy coincidence! But classic pork sausages will work perfectly.
- Cheese for this pork and leek lasagna includes two varieties. Parmesan goes into the cheese sauce, and fresh mozzarella is used on top. Parmesan brings a gorgeous slight nuttiness to the sauce, and the mozzarella a lovely light freshness – which also work perfect for a golden and bubbly topping.
- Milk is used to form the sauce, it is combined with the roux to build the base. I chose milk over cream to avoid the dish becoming too heavy, and when mixed correctly it creates a lovely smooth sauce anyway.
Sauce Ingredients
- Pasta is going to take place in the form of lasagna of course – but which kind? I used lasagna noodles, rather than sheets, which made it super easy to just fold into the pork and leek mixture.
- Roux is a mixture of butter and flour. The butter is first melted and sauteed with the leek, onion, and garlic – to aid and absorb all the delicious flavours. Then the flour is mixed in to form a paste-like consistency, ready for the milk to be added.
- Seasonings are relatively simple for this dish. Consisting of garlic powder, chicken powder, onion powder, and italian herbs. The garlic and onion powders help enhance the aromatics flavour. Chicken powder is one of my favourites, boosting the umami element of the dish. Then italian herbs bring a subtle earthy tone. Salt and pepper can be added to your preference.
How to make this decadent pork and leek lasagna
First things first.
Preheat the oven to 180℃.
Cook the pork sausages.
Start by removing the casing of the pork sausages. Add the sausages to an oven safe pot/deep pan with olive oil, on medium-high heat. Use your spatula to break the pork sausage meat to be more mince like. Cook the sausages until they have a nice light crust.
Prepare the aromatics.
Whilst the pork sausages are cooking, prepare the aromatics. Peel the outer layer, and cut both the onion and leek in half. Thinly slice the onion and leek – or to your preferred thickness. Peel and chop/crush the garlic.
Saute and caramelise.
Remove sausage meat from the pot, keeping the fat that has rendered out. Add the onion to the pot, leave to saute for a moment until they begin to turn translucent. Then add the garlic, leek, and butter. Let the aromatics saute in the butter on medium-low until nicely caramelised.
Create the roux.
Add the flour to the aromatics and butter, stir until it thickens the ingredients. Cook for a minute or so, to rid the floury taste.
Form the sauce.
Slowly pour the milk into the pot, stirring constantly. Do this in about half cup increments, until there is a smooth consistency. Add the parmesan cheese, garlic powder, chicken powder, italian herbs, and onion powder – along with a dash of salt and pepper if you would like. Stir until the cheese is melted.
In goes the spinach.
Once the sauce is finished, place the spinach in and leave for a minute to begin wilting.
Bring back the pork, time for pasta.
Return the pork sausage to the sauce, along with any juices that may have been released. Then fold in the lasagna pasta/noodles. If not using an oven safe pot, transfer the pork and leek lasagna to an oven safe dish now.
Top with mozzarella cheese.
Slice the fresh mozzarella into half moon slices. Position the mozzarella across the top of the pork and leek lasagna. Add an extra sprinkle of parmesan cheese if you’d like as well.
Pop the pork and leek lasagna into the oven.
Place the dish into the oven for 30 minutes, until the cheese topping is golden and bubbly.
Time to eat!
Allow the pork and leek lasagna to cool. Serve and enjoy!
Storage
Like most forms of lasagna, this dish makes great for leftovers. All the pork and leek lasagna to cool to a lukewarm/room temperature, then place into an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days, or into the freezer for up to 3 months.
More cozy recipes:
- Brie and Bacon Gnocchi
- Leek and Bacon Orzo
- Camembert Bacon Wedge Bake
- Tomato Pesto Pasta
- Mince and Cheese Pie
- Potato Top Sausage Rolls
- Bacon Tomato Pasta
- Ham Hock Soup
Alrighty, you should now have everything you need to know for this divine pork and leek lasagna. So come on, grab those ingredients and let’s get to cooking! You do not want to miss out on this one.
Pork and Leek Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1 leek
- 1 c baby spinach
- 1 brown onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 6 pork sausages
- 100 g butter
- 1 c parmesan cheese
- 150 g fresh mozzarella cheese
- 3 c milk
- 3 tbsp flour
- 300 g lasagna pasta noodles
- 2 tbsp chicken powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp italian herbs
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180℃.
- Start by removing the casing of the pork sausages. Add the sausages to an oven safe pot/deep pan with olive oil, on medium-high heat. Use your spatula to break the pork sausage meat to be more mince like. Cook the sausages until they have a nice light crust.
- Whilst the pork sausages are cooking, prepare the aromatics. Peel the outer layer, and cut both the onion and leek in half. Thinly slice the onion and leek – or to your preferred thickness. Peel and chop/crush the garlic.
- Remove sausage meat from the pot, keeping the fat that has rendered out. Add the onion to the pot, leave to saute for a moment until they begin to turn translucent. Then add the garlic, leek, and butter. Let the aromatics saute in the butter on medium-low until nicely caramelised.
- Add the flour to the aromatics and butter, stir until it thickens the ingredients. Cook for a minute or so, to rid the floury taste.
- Slowly pour the milk into the pot, stirring constantly. Do this in about half cup increments, until there is a smooth consistency.
- Add the parmesan cheese, garlic powder, chicken powder, italian herbs, and onion powder – along with a dash of salt and pepper if you would like. Stir until the cheese is melted.
- Once the sauce is finished, place the spinach in and leave for a minute to begin wilting.
- Return the pork sausage to the sauce, along with any juices that may have been released. Then fold in the lasagna pasta/noodles. If not using an oven safe pot, transfer the pork and leek lasagna to an oven safe dish now.
- Slice the fresh mozzarella into half moon slices. Position the mozzarella across the top of the pork and leek lasagna. Add an extra sprinkle of parmesan cheese if you’d like as well.
- Place the dish into the oven for 30 minutes, until the cheese topping is golden and bubbly. Serve and enjoy!
