Mushroom & Cauliflower Ragu lasagne

Serves: 6 Prep Time: Minutes, Cooking Time: 1.5 HOURS

CHEF NOTES:

A rich veggie-based lasagne chat yields delicious results. You can pulse the mushrooms and cauli in a food processor to speed up the prepping process.

VEGETARIAN

Ingredients


  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 500g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 25g unsalted butter
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 medium cauliflower (about 600g), coarsely grated, leaves roughly chopped
  • 3 sprigs of rosemary
  • Good pinch of chilli flakes
  • 200ml red or white wine
  • 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • 450ml hot vegetable stock
  • Handful of finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 6-12 fresh lasagne sheets (depending on size)
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Bitter leaf salad, to serve
  •  
  • For the bechamel:
  • 60g butter
  • 60g plain flour
  • 600ml whole milk
  • Good grating of fresh nutmeg
  • 70g Gruyere cheese (or vegetarian alternative), grated
  • 120g Cheddar cheese (or vegetarian alternative) grated
1
Make the ragu: heat the oil in a large pan and add the garlic and mushrooms and cook over a medium-high heat for 5 minutes until golden brown. Tip out of the pan and set aside.
2
Add the butter to the pan and fry the onion and chopped cauliflower leaves until softened, then add the grated cauliflower, rosemary and chilli flakes and return the mushrooms to the pan.
3
Add the wine and cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the tomatoes, tomato puree and stock. Season and simmer for 45 minutes until rich and thick. Stir in the parsley.
4
Meanwhile make the bechamel. Melt the butter in a pan and add the flour and cook for a minute or two. Then gradually add the milk until you have a thick, glossy sauce. Season well and add plenty of nutmeg. Stir in almost all the grated cheeses, saving some for the top. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/Gas 6.
5
Spoon one-third of the ragu into a large ovenproof dish, then top with 2-3 lasagne sheets and one-third of the bechamel. Repeat twice more, ending with a layer of bechamel and the last of the grated cheese.
6
Bake for 40 minutes until golden and bubbling then serve with a bitter leaf salad.