Lasagne alle Verdure (Vegetarian Lasagne)
rate this recipe:
Rich aubergine ragu with layers of roasted red peppers, spinach and a creamy parmesan bechamel sauce. Easy to make, but like all good lasagne, it takes a little time.
Serves:6
Equipment
- Heavy baking dish (approx 30 x 23 cms)
Ingredients
Vegetable Ragu
- 250 g lasagne You will probably use about ¾ packet
- 700 g 3 - 4 aubergines, diced into small cubes, salted and left to drain.
- 2 red onions, finely chopped
- 3 Florina red peppers, cut into half cm rounds
- 1 banana chilli pepper, finely chopped optional
- 1 small mild green pepper, finely chopped
- 1 large celery stalk including plenty of leaves, finely chopped
- 1 large carrot (grated)
- 2 scant tbsp tomato paste
- 300 ml tomato sauce or fresh tomatoes in the summer
- 350 g finely sliced spinach leaves washed and dried in a salad drier or tea towel
- 200-300 ml vegetable/chicken stock or stock cube
- 1 tsp cumin
- pinch mace or nutmeg
- ground black pepper
- ½ tsp sweet paprika
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp dried mixed herbs
- 3 cloves grated garlic
- 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp finely chopped oregano or basil
- olive oil
Bechamel Sauce
- 100 g all-purpose flour
- 1 litre plant or dairy milk
- 100 ml boiled water
- 50 ml olive oil
- 50 g butter
- pinch salt
- pinch nutmeg
- black pepper
- 100 g grated parmesan or pecorino cheese plus extra for the last layer of bechamel
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180° and roast the red peppers, tossed in a little olive oil and the dried mixed herbs.
- Finely slice the aubergines and sprinkle with some salt to extract any excess moisture. If you are using very fresh aubergines, this may not be necessary.
Vegtable Ragu
- Gently saute the onions and celery until they are soft and then add the grated carrot. Soften and let the onions turn golden but do not burn.
- Add all the spices except the garlic and turn over in the pan once or twice, then add the remaining chilli and green peppers and let them soften.
- Brush off salt and moisture from the aubergines and add, keeping the pan on medium heat. Cook gently until golden and well-sealed. You may need to add more oil and increase the heat to reach the point where the aubergines are nicely browned.
- Stir in the grated garlic and tomato paste - coating all the vegetables. Add half the tomato sauce and bubble gently.
- Check on your red peppers, if they are cooked remove and leave them to cool. Turn the oven up to 200°C.
- When the sauce starts to dry out, add the remaining tomato sauce and a little stock. Bubble up to a rich but pourable sauce. Add more stock or tomato sauce if necessary. It needs to be cooked gently for around 40-45 minutes. Taste and season accordingly. If you prefer a smoother sauce, you can slightly blend it with a stick blender.
Bechamel Sauce
- Make bechamel sauce by melting the butter in a saucepan, add the olive oil and mix in the flour to form a paste. Add a dash or two of hot water, whisking with a small sauce whisk until it is well incorporated. Put it over low heat and gradually add milk, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Whisk all the time until it comes to a boil and thickens. Stir in the parmesan until completely melted. Check for seasoning - adding a little more salt or pepper if needed.
Making the Lasagne
- Put a layer of your vegetable ragu on the bottom of the oven dish, cover it with lasagne sheets and then add another layer of vegetable ragu, a thin layer of red peppers, a thin layer of spinach and a layer of bechamel sauce.
- Repeat the process, lasagne, ragu, red peppers, spinach and bechamel. Finishing with a layer of pasta. Cover the pasta with bechamel and grated parmesan. You can also add a little shredded mozzarella.
- Put the lasagne in the oven for 10 minutes at 200°C, then turn it down to 180°C for 30 minutes. Cover with foil if the top starts to burn, and take the foil off 5 minutes before the end to brown the top of the lasagne.
Tried this recipe?Mention @thewildepicurean or tag #thewildepicurean
