Spinach& vegetable lasagne
WHEN I have a lot of people coming over and I want a no-fuss comfort meal, this classic, family-style dish hits the spot every time. I like to make a simple green salad to go with it — you can add vegetables to the salad, too. The creamy white sauce made with nut milk works a treat and can be made completely plant-based by substituting the butter for oil and using a vegan pesto. It’s also a fantastic way of introducing more vegetables into children’s diets, as well as your own.
SERVES 6
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 red onion, sliced 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped 200g mushrooms, roughly diced 150g aubergine, cut into 3cm cubes 150g courgette, cut into 3cm cubes 2 tsp dried (or fresh) oregano 10g fresh basil leaves, roughly torn 10ml balsamic vinegar 400g tin chopped tomatoes 6 wholegrain or spinach pasta lasagne sheets (about 8 x 18cm) 100g fresh green pesto (or a vegan option) 100g spinach Rocket leaves or a green salad, to serve
FOR THE WHITE SAUCE
2 tbsp butter 30g plain flour 250ml cashew milk
3 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes or grated Parmesan cheese
½ tsp nutmeg, freshly grated or ground
PREHEAT the oven to 200c/180c fan/ gas 6. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat, add the onion and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes before adding the garlic. Cook for another minute, then toss in the mushrooms, aubergine and courgette with the oregano and fry for 4-5 minutes until softened. Add the basil, vinegar and chopped tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes. While the sauce is simmering, make the white sauce. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat, then gradually whisk in the flour until it has combined and thickened. Cook the flour and butter mixture for 1 minute, then whisk in the cashew milk a little at a time until you achieve a bechamel sauce consistency (you may need to use more or less milk). Mix in the Parmesan or nutritional yeast flakes and nutmeg. Remove the pan from the heat. Pour half the vegetables into a lasagne dish (about 20cm x 25cm x 5cm) then place 2 or 3 lasagne sheets on top. Smother the pesto on top of the pasta, then add a layer of spinach and one of white sauce. Repeat the layers of vegetables, pasta, pesto, spinach and white sauce until you run out of mixture: the top layer should be the white sauce, which will crisp in the oven. Bake for 35-40 minutes and allow to cool on a work surface for 5 minutes before serving with salad leaves.