Lasagne with a twist
It takes a little stretch of the imagination to label this dish a lasagne. It is far from the typical lasagne, although it still has the same base of red and white sauces layered with sheets of pasta. This is the conundrum of the creative cook that I have been pondering lately. Do I call a recipe a name that is recognisable and will instantly conjure up an idea of what is to be prepared or, if swaying from traditional, would it be better to call it something different entirely?
Let’s try, pumpkin layered with sheets of flour, mince and cauliflower and leek sauce. It doesn’t quite have an inviting ring to it.
I don’t know about you but I lost myself at sheets of flour because, without a relatable term such as the word pasta, it is difficult to create an image of the end result.
The fact is that the naming of much of the cuisine we prepare was done centuries ago. There are stories, even legends, behind dishes and their origins. And from region to region, dishes can vary.
Such is the case with lasagne. Here is a version, using traditional layered lasagne as the base, with the addition of seasonal goodies such as pumpkin, cauliflower and leek, plus some home-preserved tomatoes.
This is not exactly fusion, rather a variation that makes the most of what is in season, a theme firmly entrenched in the heart of Italian cuisine.
Pumpkin lasagne with cauliflower and leek white sauce Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 60 minutes Serves 6
Red sauce
■ 2 tablespoons olive oil
■ 1 onion, diced
■ 2 garlic cloves, chopped
■ 500g lamb or beef mince or 2 cups cooked brown lentils
■ 2 teaspoons dried marjoram or oregano
■ 400g can chopped tomatoes
■ Salt and pepper
Leek and cauliflower white sauce
■ 30g butter
■ 1 leek, roughly chopped
■ A half head of cauliflower, about 500g, cut into florets
■ 1 cup milk, plus extra to thin if needed ■ Pinch of nutmeg
■ 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
■ 250g dried lasagne sheets (can use gluten-free sheets)
■ About 300g pumpkin or squash, thinly sliced ■ Olive oil
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Grease a 25cm x 30cm baking dish.
Make the red sauce. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and saute the onion until soft. Add the garlic, and mince or lentils and cook until browned. Add the herbs and chopped tomatoes and simmer until thick, about 15 minutes. Season to taste.
Make the white sauce. In a saucepan combine the butter, leek, cauliflower, milk and nutmeg. Cover and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
Use a stick blender to puree until smooth. Add the grated cheese and stir to melt through the sauce. Add a splash of extra milk if needed to thin the sauce, it should be thick but pourable. Season to taste
To prepare the lasagne, start with a thin layer of red sauce on the base.
Cover evenly with lasagna sheets and pour over the white sauce, spreading out evenly. Arrange a single layer of pumpkin slices snugly on top. Repeat these layers twice more, finishing with a layer of pumpkin slices.
Brush the pumpkin generously with olive oil and scatter with salt and cracked pepper. Bake for one hour until the pumpkin is golden and the pasta sheets are soft. Serve with salad greens and a
simple parsley pistou (recipe below).
Parsley pistou Preparation time: 5 minutes Makes about 1⁄2 cup
■ About 1⁄2 cup parsley leaves, roughly chopped
■ Zest and juice of 1 lemon
■ 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
■ 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
■ Salt and pepper to season
Combine the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Season to taste.