Everyone loves lasagne but sometimes it can be heavy with layers and layers of meat and pasta. A great alternative is to replace the meat with various vegetables.
Function: Induction cooktop, Top/Bottom Heat
Classic Vegetarian Lasagne
Ingredients
Filling
½ butternut pumpkin
2 Lebanese eggplants
Salt
2 zucchini
2 tbsp olive oil
2 shallots, diced
1 leek, halved and sliced
2 garlic cloves, diced
3 x 400 g tinned crushed tomatoes
2 tsp dried Italian herbs
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season
250g good quality fresh lasagna sheets (or dried)
250g shredded mozzarella
Béchamel
80g unsalted butter
80g plain flour
4 cups (1L) warm milk
Method
Peel and deseed the butternut pumpkin, then slice into thin strips and set aside for later. Top and tail the eggplant and zucchini to remove the stems and slice into thin strips and set aside. To remove the bitterness of the eggplant, lay the slices on a cooling rack and season with salt. Let sit for 15 minutes. Pat salted sides with paper towel. Flip, salt again, and let sit for an additional 15 minutes. Pat dry with paper towel and set aside for later.
Heat a large heavy based saucepan on a medium-high heat, induction level 7. Once hot add the olive oil then add in the shallots, leek and garlic and sauté until lightly coloured. Add the crushed tomatoes and the Italian herbs and simmer on medium heat, induction level 5 for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the fresh parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, make the béchamel. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium to high heat, induction level 7. Add the flour and stir to make a smooth paste (roux). Slowly add the warm milk and keep whisking until the sauce is smooth and thickened, roughly 10 minutes total time. Remove from heat and set aside.
Preheat oven on Top and Bottom heat to 170°C.
To assemble the lasagna, lightly grease a large rectangular ovenproof dish, approximately 23cm x 30cm, spread some of the béchamel sauce over the base of the dish. Cover with lasagne sheets. Spoon over a thin layer of the tomato sauce then the eggplant. Repeat this layering process of béchamel, lasagna sheets, tomato sauce and alternate between the pumpkin, eggplant and zucchini. Sprinkle final layer with the mozzarella cheese. Cover top of the dish with alfoil.
Bake in oven on shelf level 2 for 30 minutes then remove the alfoil and cook for an additional 20 minutes, or until golden brown on top.
Remove from oven and rest for 10 minutes, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.
