Trypophobia Lasagne

What is trypophobia? According to the dictionary, it’s “an irrational or disproportionate feeling of discomfort or revulsion at the sight of clustered holes or bumps, as seen in sponges, honeycombs, certain seed pods, soap bubbles, and bubbles in batter: although not officially recognized as a specific phobia, trypophobia is a subject of ongoing psychiatric research”. Sounds delicious!

Done in 4 hours

Dish by Hugh Woodward

Ingredients

Ragu:

2 tbspolive oil

800gbeef mince

1large carrot, finely chopped

1large brown onion, finely chopped

1rib of celery

1garlic cloves

1 tbsp tomato puree

200mlred wine

400gtinned plum tomatoes

500ml beef stock

Sea salt

Black pepper

Bechemal:

60gunsalted butter

60gflour

600mlmilk

50gparmesan

1 tspsalt

1 tspground black pepper

Other bits:

1 kg large dry rigatoni, cooked

300gpizza mozzarella

100g grated parmesan

Here at Twisted we don't shy away from taking an internet based trend by the horns and riding it around until it falls over and dies. Kindly step into the bring lights of the global food stage, Tryphobia Lasagna. It's basically a normal lasagna but with lots of holes in it, which will either scare the shit out of you or make you hungry.

Method

Preheat the oven to 140°C.

Start things off with your ragu. Heat the oil in a large casserole and take the beef mince and separate it into loose clumps - fry these in batches until browned all over. Remove with a slotted spoon, leaving the tasty fat in there.

Add the chopped vegetables (mirepoix) until sautee until lightly caramelised and very soft. Pop the garlic in and cook for a further minute or so, until the raw smell has gone.

Stir through the tomato puree and cook until the oil turns red, then deglaze with the red wine. Add the tomatoes and beef stock and add the mince back in and bring it to a simmer. Pop the lid on and place it in the oven for around 3 hours. Season with salt and black pepper.

Meanwhile, make the bechamel - heat the butter in a saucepan over a medium flame then stir through the flour, cooking it out until it smells biscuity. Incrementally add the milk, whisking thoroughly between each addition, until you've got a smooth sauce. Add the parm, salt and pepper and cover with a layer of clingfilm to prevent lumps.

Time to assemble the lasagna! In a round deep cake tin put a layer of cooked rigatoni with all the holes looking up at you - trypophobic AF. Spread over a layer of ragu followed by bechemal, mozzarella and a sprinkle of parmesan. Repeat and bake for 40 minutes or until bubbling and golden.

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Hugh Woodward

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Hugh's culinary life began aged 14 when he cooked spaghetti hoop burritos to impress girls. Since then his colourful career has taken him to performing in Skegness, making cheese in Peckham, running a wine bar on Columbia Road and reluctantly working in a (briefly) Michelin Starred restaurant. He likes fish, things cooked on charcoal, cheap dinners and London's rich cultural tapestry of food shops. When he's not cooking or eating he can be found mudlarking by the river Thames, buying bits in flea markets and hanging out with his cat Keith.