LOVING LASAGNE

SPRING VEGETABLE LASAGNE

Make the most of spring veg in this hearty vegetarian lasagne.

INGREDIENTS

30g butter

¼ cup plain flour

1 ½ cups milk

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed, thickly sliced

2 zucchini, cut into ribbons

2 green onions, trimmed, cut into 8cm lengths

1 bunch English spinach, trimmed

10 dried instant lasagne sheets

1 cup frozen peas

250g fresh ricotta

2 roma tomatoes, thinly sliced

⅔ cup chopped fresh basil leaves

1 cup grated pizza cheese Extra basil leaves, to serve

METHOD

Step 1:

Preheat oven to 200C/180C fan-forced.

Step 2:

Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Add flour. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until bubbling. Remove from heat. Gradually stir in milk until combined. Return to heat. Cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes or until sauce boils and thickens. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 3:

Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add asparagus, zucchini and onion. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon. Drain on paper towel. Add spinach to pan. Cook for 1 minute or until wilted. Remove with slotted spoon. Squeeze out excess moisture when cool enough to handle. Roughly chop.

Step 4:

Cover the base of a 20cm x 28cm (8 cupcapacity) ovenproof dish with ⅔ cup white sauce. Layer ¼ lasagne sheets trimming to fit. Layer asparagus mixture, peas and ⅓ ricotta. Top with ⅓ of remaining lasagne sheets, ½ spinach, and ½ remaining ricotta. Repeat. Top with remaining lasagne sheets and remaining white sauce. Arrange tomato and basil leaves on top. Sprinkle with cheese.

Step 5:

Bake for 45 minutes or until golden and pasta is tender. Serve with extra basil leaves.