Roast vegetable lasagne
A harlequin layer of roast vegetables helps to create the most delightful lasagne. Each of the five layers has a little of everything, roast vegetables, béchamel, mozzarella and Parmesan. In Sicily, there might also be slices of boiled egg in a lasagne, making it even more colourful and delicious. The resting between construction and cooking, and after baking, is essential so the flavours can settle, deepen and ‘fare amicizia’ – make friends.
Each serving provides 560 kcal, 25g protein, 45g carbohydrates (of which 15g sugars), 29.5g fat (of which 16.5g saturates), 7.5g fibre and 1.4g salt.
Ingredients
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 courgettes, diced
- 1 fennel bulb, trimmed and diced
- 2 sweet red peppers, diced
- 2 red onions, diced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 600ml/20fl oz full-fat milk
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú butter
- 60²µ/2¼´Ç³ú plain flour
- large grating fresh nutmeg
- 12 fresh or dried 18x13cm/7x5in lasagne sheets
- butter, for greasing
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú Parmesan, finely grated
- 250g/9oz mozzarella, well drained and chopped into small pieces
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5. Spread the carrots, courgettes, fennel, red peppers and onion on two baking trays. Sprinkle with salt and pour over the oil, using your hands to rub so everything is well coated. Roast for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft and just starting to colour at the edges.
To make béchamel, warm the milk in a small saucepan but do not allow to boil. In another saucepan, melt the butter over a low heat and add the flour. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon for a couple of minutes, until it smells like biscuits. Remove both pans from the heat and slowly pour the milk into the butter mixture a little at a time, mixing well between each addition. Place the sauce back on the heat, season with salt and add the nutmeg and keep stirring until the sauce is as dense as thick cream.
Bring a shallow saucepan of water to the boil and add three lasagne sheets at a time. Boil rapidly for 1 minute or as per packet instructions. Quickly lift the pasta onto clean tea towels to dry.
Grease a 30x40x6cm/12x16x2.5in baking dish with the butter. Add a layer of pasta, spread a thin coating of béchamel on the pasta, sprinkle with a fifth of the roast vegetables, a fifth of the Parmesan, a fifth of the mozzarella and a grind of black pepper. Repeat this process four more times, leaving yourself with just enough béchamel and Parmesan for the final layer.
Cover with cling film and leave to chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours if possible.
Remove the lasagne from the fridge and bring back to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a light golden crust forms on top. If you like a very golden crust, put it under a hot grill for about 1 minute.
Leave the lasagne to rest for at least 15 minutes before serving, so it will firm up nicely and reach the right temperature.
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