Roast Vegetable Lasagna
- Preparation and cooking time
- Total time
- More effort
- Serves 8
Ingredients
For the Tomato Sauce:
- Olive Oil
- 2 large onions, sliced
- 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp sweet/smokey paprika powder
- 2 small zucchini/courgettes
- 1 tin of chopped tomatoes in juice / Passata
- 2 large tomatoes, skinned and diced
- 1 packet of "baby" green asparagus
- approx. 200g of fresh or canned mushrooms
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- Plenty of fresh or dried herbs such as Basil, Thyme and Oregano
For the White Sauce:
- 2 packets (500g) of Ricotta cheese
- approx. 250g frozen or fresh spinach (defrosted/wilted)
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
- a handful of chopped, fresh parsley
- Plenty of salt and pepper
- approx. 400g of no-cook lasagne sheets
approx. 250g of grated parmesan or mixed pizza cheese (mozzarella & cheddar, for example)
- approx. 250g of grated parmesan or mixed pizza cheese (mozzarella & cheddar, for example)
Method
- STEP 1Preheat the oven to 175 C degrees. Start to defrost the Spinach. If using fresh spinach, wilt it for a few seconds in boiling water, then squeeze out all the liquid and set aside.
- STEP 2Chop the onions, zucchini/courgettes, mushrooms and asparagus (and any other vegetables you may choose to use) and toss in a little olive oil in a roasting dish. Season with salt & pepper. Roast for approx. 15min until slightly softened. Set aside.
- STEP 3Heat the can of Passata on a low heat and add the garlic, bayleaves, as well as the chopped fresh tomatoes and plenty of herbs. Add the chilli and the paprika powder. Season to taste and simmer.
- STEP 4--> TIP: The tomato sauce needs to be seasoned very well, otherwise the entire lasagna will end-up tasting rather bland. Then take off the heat & set aside.
- STEP 5In a bowl, mix the Ricotta cheese with the prepared, cooled spinach and season well with nutmeg, salt & pepper.
- STEP 6ASSEMBLE!
- STEP 7Grease a large, square lasagna dish with some olive oil.
- STEP 8Place some of the pasta sheets at the bottom to create a "base". Spoon on a layer of the tomato sauce (remove bayleaves first). This is the time to add the roast vegetables as well.
- STEP 9Follow with a layer of pasta sheets. Then spoon on a layer of the spinach-ricotta sauce.
- STEP 10Continue with alternating layers of tomato sauce with vegetables, pasta sheets, then white sauce, etc.
- STEP 11Make sure the final top layer ends with the ricotta mixture.
- STEP 12Then sprinkle the top evenly with the grated cheese.
- STEP 13Bake on the centre shelf of the oven for 75min (fan-assisted) to 90min (regular oven), or until cheese on top begins to crisp & brown.
- STEP 14Test whether the pasta sheets are cooked by sticking a stick into the middle. If the cheese is browning before the pasta is cooked, cover the lasagne with some aluminium foil to continue baking.
