I’ve always preferred vegetarian lasagne. I make it frequently, tweaking and changing things, aiming for an even better than last time result. Finally I have a recipe I’m happy with, this was the best I’ve ever made. There’s a lot of ingredients, it takes time and the washing up is a bit momentous but it’s so worth it. It’s become a staple in our house.
Serves 6 with veggie sauce left over for a pasta dish
Ingredients
Veggie Lasagne
- 2 carrots cubed
- 2 celery sticks cubed
- butternut squash cubed
- 1 onion diced
- 250g mixed mushrooms diced
- 4 cloves of garlic crushed
- Basil
- 2 Tbsp Tomato purée
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 2 tsp rosemary
- 2 tsp oregano
- 2 tsp sage
- 2 cans tinned toms
- 3 tbsp sugar
- Glass of wine
- Pint of Good quality stock
- 1 Tsp of balsamic vinegar
- A few dashes of Worcestershire sauce
- Tbsp Ketchup
- Lasagne Verdi sheets
White sauce
- 50g butter (use margarine for vegan)
- 50g plain flour
- Pint of milk (use a non dairy milk for vegan)
- 250g mature cheddar plus extra for the top (can use vegan cheese)
- Tsp English mustard
>prep time 30 min’s >baking time 40 min’s
Add the carrots, celery, onion and some oil to a large pan. Cook on a medium heat for 15 min’s then add the garlic, basil, tomato purée and season to taste and cook for a further 15 min’s. At the same time roast the butternut squash with a little oil and the sage and rosemary on 170 c for 40 min’s.
In another pan add the tinned toms, sugar, wine, stock, balsamic, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves and bring to a boil. Season to taste, reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 min’s. Add the veggies to the sauce and cook till it thickens (about another 20 min’s). Whilst this is cooking make the white sauce. For this melt the butter then add the flour, cook this out for about 3 min’s (until it colours slightly) then add the milk, mustard and cheese, season and leave to cook for 15 min’s on a medium heat. In the meantime add the butternut squash to the veggie saucepan.
You are ready to assemble in the following order…
- Three generous ladles of veggie sauce,
- White sauce
- Lasagne sheets (cover the white sauce) I sometimes alternate with layers of vegetables like courgette to add a different taste and texture
Repeat the above, sprinkle with cheese, season and bake in the oven for 40 min’s at 160 c.
Take out the oven and leave for 10 min’s, this helps everything thicken up – well worth the wait.
