People always want lasagne. Always, always. No matter the season, if I see it, or talk about it, I want it. It’s one of those dishes with immediate appeal, but making it is a mission – ragù, bechamel, fresh pasta. In the right frame of mind, I’ll happily spend hours in the kitchen, radio on, making a proper, epic version. But often I am not in that frame of mind. It doesn’t matter what your situation is – kids, no kids, going to the office, WFH – or how much you love cooking, everyone’s busy. It’s what I thought about when I was writing my new book, Medesque. How could I take the dishes from some of my favourite Mediterranean cuisines and make them fit into my hectic life?
Basically, I wanted a lasagne simple enough for a weeknight evening. This one is made in one pan, with three cheeses subbing in for a white sauce, while’nduja adds a real depth of flavour, so I don’t need to simmer a ragù for two hours. It’s not a traditional lasagne, but I think it’s delicious in its own right.
I also wanted to rethink some of my favourite dishes, to repurpose flavours, so I present to you not a niçoise salad but a niçoise baguette. To me, it’s a perfect sunny-day sandwich, and I think there’s something quite chic about it. If my friends come round, I want to spend time with them, not in the kitchen, so I’d be thrilled if someone invited me round and served this. Baguette with crisps, a glass of chilled rosé and some good chat? The dream.
Recipes from Medesque by Georgina Hayden (Bloomsbury Publishing, hardback £26). Order a copy at observershop.co.uk for £23.40. Free UK standard P&P on online orders over £25.
Georgina Hayden will be in conversation with our food editor Holly O’Neill at Hay Festival on 21 May. Observer subscribers can get free tickets to this event, visit observer.co.uk/culture-club