Vegetarian Lasagne

I have just started receiving a fortnightly fruit and vegetable delivery from Aussie Farmer's Direct. This was the inspiration for this recipe as I had some vegetables to use and thought this was the perfect recipe to use them. I had made another vegetarian lasagne before but this one was far better than the last.

Firstly you need to preheat your oven to 180 degrees celcius. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Peel and slice the pumpkins and sweet potato into 1 cm thick pieces. Lay the pieces onto the baking trays, pumpkin on one and the sweet potato on the other. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over them and some salt and pepper. Place in the oven and roast for 20 minutes or until soft.

Whilst the vegetables are roasting you will need to make the tomato based sauce. First you will be need to cut up the vegetables. Finely dice the onion, chop the red capsicum into pieces about 2 cm, halve and slice the zucchini, chop the eggplant and slice the mushrooms. Put all the prepared vegetables with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and garlic into a stock pot. Cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes or until the eggplant is tender.

Now add the diced tomato and herbs and reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10-20 minutes. Once reduced add the chopped spinach and season with salt and pepper. After 3 minutes turn the heat off and set aside while you make the cheese sauce.

In a medium sized pot melt the butter over a medium heat. Once melted add the flour, stirring with a whisk for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and slowly add the milk to reduce the chance of lumps. Return the pan to the heat and stir with the whisk for 5 minutes or until the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from the heat and stir in half the cheese.

By now your vegetables should be cooked and you will need to assemble the lasagne. In a baking dish 7 cm deep and 25 cm squares start with a third of the tomato sauce. Then lay the roasted pumpkin on top and a layer of the pasta sheet. Pour the next third of the tomato sauce, then the sweet potato and half the cheese sauce. Then the next layer of pasta sheets. Finally the remainder of the tomato sauce, then the cheese sauce. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and place in the oven covered with foil to cook for 15 minutes. After the 15 minutes remove the foil and cook for a further 25 minutes. Once golden on top remove from the oven and slice to serve.

This was yum and it reheats really well. You could assemble it ahead of time and cook as required. It is perfect with garlic bread.

Until next time, Happy cooking, Kate.

***Ingredients
400 gram butternut pumpkin
1 medium size sweet potato
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 eggplant
1 zucchini
1 red capsicum
250 grams button mushrooms, sliced
1 brown onion
2 garlic cloves, crushed and finely diced
80 grams baby spinach leaves
400 g tin diced tomatoes
10-12 basil leaves , finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
50 grams butter
2 tablespoons plain flour
2 cups full cream milk
1 packet of dried lasange sheets
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese