A rich, deeply satisfying vegetarian lasagne with distinct layers of roasted aubergine, wilted spinach, a robust tomato sauce and a generous béchamel. Pure Italian comfort food at its finest and makes for a great Al Desko lunch box!
Serves 2–4
Ingredients
For the tomato sauce
- 1 & 1/2 tomato pulp
- 1 tbs tomato concentrate
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- olive oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
For the filling
- 1 large aubergine, cut into 1.5cm slices
- 200g fresh spinach (you can also use frozen after boiling and draining well)
- olive oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
For the lasagne
- a pack of dried lasagne sheets (use as much as you need depending on the dish you will be using)
- 1 large pack of béchamel sauce
- 80g Parmesan, freshly grated
- fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped (to garnish)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Method
- Preheat the oven: Heat your oven to 200°C.
- Roast the aubergine: Toss aubergine slices in 45ml olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread on a baking tray and roast for 20–25 minutes until deeply golden and tender. Set aside.
- Wilt the spinach: Heat a dry pan over medium heat. Add fresh spinach and cook for 2–3 minutes until completely wilted. Season with salt and pepper, then squeeze out any excess water thoroughly and set aside.
- Make the tomato sauce: Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 6–8 minutes until soft. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in tomato concentrate and cook for 1 minute. Add tomato pulp, season generously and simmer for 15 minutes until thick and rich.
- Assemble the lasagne: Spread a thin layer of béchamel across the base of a deep baking dish. Then build the layers in this order:
- Layer 1: lasagne sheets, tomato sauce, roasted aubergine slices
- Layer 2: lasagne sheets, béchamel, wilted spinach, a little Parmesan
- Layer 3: lasagne sheets, tomato sauce, roasted aubergine slices
- Layer 4: lasagne sheets, béchamel, wilted spinach, a little Parmesan
Finish with a final layer of lasagne sheets topped generously with the remaining béchamel and all the remaining Parmesan.
- Bake: Bake at 200°C for 35–40 minutes until the top is deeply golden and bubbling at the edges. Leave to rest for 10 minutes before cutting.
- Finish and serve: Scatter fresh parsley, drizzle with a little olive oil and serve straight from the dish.
