Izy's Vegetarian Lasagne
by Izy Hossack
When it comes to a veggie lasagne, the key to success is getting lots of flavour into that ‘ragu’. I find an important part of this is time - you need to let the tomato lentil ragu cook for a good amount of time over a low-ish heat to let the flavours develop and to make the sauce rich. I love using puy lentils as they have a firmer texture but you can simply sub for tinned green lentils if that’s what you’ve got!
Method
Based on 6 servings, adjust as needed.
Step 1
Heat the oil in a large pot over a medium-low heat. Once hot, add the onion, carrot and celery with a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, for 15-20 minutes until the vegetables are softened and starting to turn golden in places.
Step 2
Add the chopped tomatoes and 1 tin of water to the pot, too (if cooking a 6-portion lasagne). Stir in the lentils, marmite, oregano, sugar and balsamic vinegar.
Step 3
Bring to a boil then turn down to simmer and let cook for a further 30-40 minutes until thickened. Taste and season with salt, as needed.
Step 4
Meanwhile make the cheese sauce by melting the butter in a medium pot over a medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for a minute to toast then gradually whisk in the milk, followed by the water. Keep cooking, stirring occasionally, until thickened then stir in just over half of the grated cheddar.
Step 5
Once the cheese has fully incorporated into the sauce, take off the heat. Taste and season with salt, as needed.
Step 6
Preheat your oven to 180°C fan.
Step 7
Spread a few tablespoons of the tomato-lentil sauce into a large, deep baking dish. Lay dried lasagne sheets in a single layer on top of this, breaking the sheets up as needed to fill any gaps.
Step 8
Spread ¼ of the tomato-lentil sauce on top of this, followed by ¼ of the cheese sauce. Top this with a layer of dried lasagne sheets like before.
Step 9
Repeat until you’ve used up all the sauces, finishing on the final layer of white sauce. Top with the remaining grated cheddar cheese.
Step 10
Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden on top and bubbling. Let it cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
- Ingredients
- Based on 6 servings
-
350g Dry Lasagne Sheets 1x Sainsbury's Lasagne Sheets Pasta 500g -
1 tbsp Oregano 1x Sainsbury's Oregano 12g -
2 tsp Marmite 1x Sainsbury's Yeast Extract, Reduced Salt 225g -
1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar 1x Sainsbury's Balsamic Vinegar Of Modena 1 Leaf 250ml -
0.5 tsp Sugar 1x Sainsbury's White Granulated Sugar 500g -
250g Pouch Cooked Puy Lentils 1x Merchant Gourmet Puy Lentils & French Green Lentils Simply Cooked 250g -
2 Tins Chopped Tomatoes 2x Stamford Street Co. Chopped Tomatoes in Tomato Juice 400g -
60g Salted Butter 1x Sainsbury's British Butter, Salted 250g -
70g Plain White Flour 1x Sainsbury's Plain Flour 500g -
1 pint Semi Skimmed Milk 1x Sainsbury's British Semi Skimmed Milk 1 Pint -
125g Cheddar Cheese, grated 1x Sainsbury's British Mature Cheddar Cheese 400g -
3 tbsp Olive Oil 1x Sainsbury's Olive Oil 500ml -
2 Onions, finely diced 1x Sainsbury's Onions Loose -
3 sticks Celery, finely diced 1x Sainsbury's Celery -
3 Carrots, finely diced 3x Sainsbury’s Carrots Loose