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Roast Vegetable Lasagna
Serves 8
More effort
Total time:
This version of a traditionally heavy dish is made lighter by roasting vegetables in the oven first, and by using Ricotta instead of a thick and time-consuming Bechamel sauce.
Skip to 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 1
Preheat 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 2
Chop 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 3
Heat 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 5
In a bowl, mix the Ricotta cheese with the prepared, cooled spinach and season well with nutmeg, salt & pepper.step 6
ASSEMBLE!step 7
Grease a large, square lasagna dish with some olive oil.step 8
Place 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 9
Follow with a layer of pasta sheets. Then spoon on a layer of the spinach-ricotta sauce.step 10
Continue with alternating layers of tomato sauce with vegetables, pasta sheets, then white sauce, etc.step 11
Make sure the final top layer ends with the ricotta mixture.step 12
Then sprinkle the top evenly with the grated cheese.step 13
Bake 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 14
Test 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.
