Vegetable lasagne – versatile, delicious, foodie kid’s favourite. A great alternative to traditional meaty dish. Packed with roast vegetables, pulses. Whether a comforting creamy sauce or a rich tomato, we won’t miss the meat.
Ingredients:
- 2 yellow / red peppers, seeds removed, cut in 2cm chunks
- 1 courgette, quartered, cut in 2cm chunks
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled, cut in 2cm chunks
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- ½ tsp dried chilli flakes
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 800g chopped tomatoes
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning or dried oregano
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- 200ml cold water
- 100g young spinach leaves
- 10 dried lasagne sheets
- Salt, freshly ground black pepper
For cheese sauce:
- 75g plain flour
- 75g butter, cubed
- 750ml pint milk
- 125g mature cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
- 75g grated mozzarella cheese
Method:
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Preheat oven to 200C
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Put peppers, courgette, sweet potato in a large baking tray
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Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil, season with salt, pepper, toss
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Roast for 30 minutes, until softened, lightly browned
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While vegetables are roasting, heat remaining oil in saucepan
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Gently fry onion for 5 minutes, stir regularly
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Add chilli, garlic, cook for 1 minute
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Stir in tomatoes, Italian seasoning (or dried oregano), crumbled stock cube
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Pour over water, bring to gentle simmer
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Cook for 10 minutes, stir regularly. Set aside
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For cheese sauce, put flour, butter, milk in a saucepan, medium heat
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Whisk constantly until sauce is thickened, smooth
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Stir in roughly 2/3rd of cheeses, season to taste
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Take vegetables out of oven, add to pan with tomato sauce
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Stir in spinach, cook for 3 minutes
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Season with salt, ground black pepper
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Spoon 1/3rd of vegetable mixture over base of oven-proof lasagne dish
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Cover with a single layer of lasagne
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Top another 1/3rd of vegetable mixture, a second layer of lasagne
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Pour half of cheese sauce, gently top with remaining vegetable mixture
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Finish with final layer of lasagne, rest of cheese sauce
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Sprinkle reserved cheese over top
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Bake for 40 minutes till pasta is soft, top is golden brown, bubbling
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Stand for 5 minutes before cutting to allow filling to settle
Serve hot. Cooking on weekends is a relaxing activity, especially for a foodie kid.