*Tomato Lasagne*
Serves 6 to 8

This is simple, uncomplicated, straightforward and delicious.  A delicious tomato sauce, with some cheese, lasagna sheets and a good bechamel.  You can dress it up by adding some different cheeses, such as goat's cheese, or a few dollops of pesto, or some grilled  vegetables between the layers.  What you have here is a canvas to write your own story upon . . .

For the Tomato Sauce:
4 ounces olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and mashed slightly
3 14-oz tins of chopped tomatoes in their own juice
(I like to use a good Italian brand)
about a dozen or so torn basil leaves
salt and black pepper to taste

For the Bechamel:
4 1/2 ounces butter
a scant 3 ounces flour
2 pints of whole milk, warmed
freshly grated nutmeg
salt and black pepper to taste

Also:
12 ounces of fresh lasagne sheets
3 ounces freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
6 ounces grated mozarella or a mixture of mozarella, cheddar, fontina, etc.
(In other words which cheese you are in the mood to eat, or what you have on hand)
butter

For the sauce, place the oil in a saucepan and heat it til fairly warm.  Add the garlic and cook until it becomes quite fragrant.  Add the tomatoes and a good pinch of salt.  Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer.  Cook for about 20 minutes or so until it resembled a sauce.  Add the basil and 1 cup of hot water towards the end of the cooking time.  Puree until smooth with a stick blender, or very carefully in a regular blender.  (You can either leave the garlic in, or remove it as you wish.)  Taste and adjust seasoning, adding salt and some pepper if required.

To make the bechamel, melt the butter in a saucepan and then whisk in the flour.  Cook for several minutes over low heat and then slowly whisk in the warm milk.  Cook and stir until the sauce thickens and is smooth.  Season with salt, pepper and a bit of freshly grated nutmeg to taste.  Cook for an additional 5 minutes or so on low heat, until you have a very thick and smooth sauce.  Set aside.

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F.  Butter a deep 8 1/2 by 12 inch baking dish.  Drizzle the bottom with some of the bechamel.  Put a slightly overlapping layer of the lasagne sheets over the bechamel.  Dollop with some of the tomato sauce, spreading it out.  Dollop another two hefty spoonfuls of bechamel over top and then a layer of the cheeses.  Add another layer of lasagne, and then repeat with the tomato, bechamel and cheese as before, and then again, repeating the layers one more time, finishing with a final layer of lasagne and a few tablespoons of tomato sauce and a good portion of bechamel.  You can sprinkle with some additional parmesan cheese if you desire, or dot with some butter.  Place in the heated oven and bake for about 30 minutes, until it is bubbling and golden brown on top.  Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting into squares to serve.