Vegetable Lasagne

Lasagne is a staple for us. I make it every other month. I used to always make it with meat bulked out with vegetable and lentils. As meat doubled in price over the last few years, I changed to making it with lentils and vegetables. However I only have a finite amount of lentils to get me through the winter and so this time I made a vegetable lasagne using just vegetables growing in my my garden.

I am keeping the ingredients vague as you can make the vegetable lasagne as big or small as you like. Any vegetables or fridge gravel can be used. In winter I add frozen peas and sweetcorn.  The listed ingredients  are the vegetables that I used this time. A jar of tomato passatta, a jar of ragu sauce, or tinned tomatoes can be used instead of the fresh tomatoes.

Ingredients

Tomato filling

20 tomatoes or a tin or jar of sauce or tomatoes.

2 cloves of garlic,

Green beans chopped finely

2 large carrots, grated

A large onion, chopped small

Half a red pepper, chopped small

Half a yellow pepper, chopped small

Tomato puree

Mixed herbs or chilli poweder.

Pasta

Enough pasta sheets to make 2 or 3 layers in the dish that you are making the lasagne in. I use a 10 inch by 8 inch dish and used less than a box of sheets.

Sauce

I make a cheese sauce when I make lasagne as I think it makes it tastier. Bechamel sauce or white sauce can be used instead homemade, from a packet, or from a jar. We make our sauce with flour, butter, milk, extra mature cheddar cheese (you need less for a nice taste) and salt and pepper.

Method

1. If making your own tomato sauce, roast the garlic and tomatoes together and whiz with a stick blender skins and all.

2. Add some tomato puree until slightly thickened. I heat mine to do this.

3. Grate the carrots and cook for 3 minutes , covered and in a splash of water, in the microwave.

4. Chop the rest of your vegetables small and add all of the vegetables, including the carrots, to a frying pan with a bit of water, and cook for 3 or 4 min. Add to the tomato sauce with the mixed herbs and a pinch of salt and cook for two minutes..

5. Make the cheese sauce. If you don’t  know how to just add some grated cheese at the end of this recipe. I made mine using just under half a pint of milk. How to make white sauce

6. In your dish place pasta sheets to cover the bottom. I break them to make them fit exactly.

7. Cover the pasta sheets in a layer of the tomato sauce.

8. Place pasta sheets on top and repeat. I usually make 3 layers but if I don’t  have many ingredients I will just put 2 of tomato sauce.

9. Finish with pasta sheets on the top. Pour the cheese sauce on top, making sure that all of the pasta is covered. Sprinkle a hand full of grated cheese on top of that.

10. Cook in an airfryer or oven at 180⁰C. Mine took 40 minutes but it may take more or less time, depending on the size or depth of the lasagne dish.

My vegetable lasagne was cut into 9 pieces. Some pieces were frozen for other meals, some were eaten hot, and some eaten cold. My grandson wolfed it down and prefers it cold. We ate it with salad and chips when it was hot. We didn’t miss the meat at all as it was really tasty. I will definitely make it without lentils again.