Veggie Lasagne

This is a family staple that I have tweaked into a plant based version that my taste tasters also give me the thumbs up to.

The chopped veggies mixed with lentils and tomatoes cooks down into an amazingly delicious sauce that would give any regular lasagne a run for its money!!!

What You'll Need: Serves 6

RAGU SAUCE :

2-3 red onions

5 garlic cloves

A good splash of tamari - approx 2 tbsp

Woody herbs fresh or dried ( 1 1/2 tsp thyme, oregano if dried)

1 x Aubergine - chopped into small pieces

1 x 400g tin lentils washed and drained

2 x large handfuls mushrooms

2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes

1/2 tube tomato puree or 4 sun-dried tomatoes finely chopped

Olive oil

Salt & pepper to season

White sauce:

Good knob of vegan butter - I love natruali brand.

3 - 4 tablespoons of plain flour

Approx 500 ml of non dairy milk

A good handful non dairy cheese

Optional - swap the white sauce for a cashew one- blitz all the ingredients together until smooth.

2 handfuls of cashews

1 garlic glove

2 cups of non dairy milk

A good handful non dairy cheese

salt and pepper

OTHER INGREDIENTS:

1 pack of lasagne sheets

Cheese of choice for topping before baking.

Let's Cook!

Step 1 is making the ragu sauce - you can double up this recipe and freeze making your next lasagne super easy!

To make this ragu sauce you can use a food processor to chop all the veggies - this makes it super quick and easy. If you don't have one no worries it just takes a little chopping or grating.

1. Get a large or casserole dish add a good glug of olive oil.

2. Grab your Aubergine & chop into small pieces.

3. Turn the pan onto a low to medium heat and add the aubergine in batches letting it cook down until browned, softened and gooey.

4. Pop the aubergine to one side.

5. Finely chop the onions and garlic and add to the same pan- let these slowly cook down for a few minutes.

6. Chop/ grate or slightly blitz the mushrooms and to the pan with the onions and garlic. Add your aubergine.

8. Add your rinsed lentils, followed by the herbs and stir.

9. Now in goes your tinned tomatoes (with a can full of tap water), tomato puree, tamari, season with a good pinch of salt & pepper.

10. Give this a good stir and add lid.

11. This can be cooked slowly on the hob or my favourite way is popping into the oven to slowly cook for an hour until this reduces and becomes and lovely rich dark colour.

12. Ragu sauce done!

To make the white sauce you will need a small saucepan and your ingredients.

1. Pop your pan on a medium heat and add your butter and slowly melt.

2. Add the flour and mix until it becomes a paste.

3. Add your plant based milk slowly, stirring this until it thicken and becomes and smooth thick white sauce.

4. Add a good handful of your cheese of choice and stir.

5. Set this aside ready to assemble the lasagne.

Time to put this gorgeous thing together!

You will need a medium size oven proof dish, your ragu sauce, white sauce, lasagne sheets and extra cheese.

Before you start pre heat your oven to 180 degrees / gas mark 6/7

1. Start with a layer of pasta sheets on the bottom

2. Add a generous layer of ragu sauce spread evenly.

3. Add a layer of your white sauce.

4. Now a layer of pasta sheets again.

5. Repeat this until you finish with a layer of béchamel sauce.

6. Finish with a good sprinkle of your vegan cheese and its ready for baking.

7. Bake your lasagne for approx 40 mins or until the top is browned and slightly crispy and oozey.

8. Remove from the oven - this will be delicious.