Wonderful Veggie Lasagne

In my family lasagne is the corner stone for our expression of love in the kitchen. We eat lasagne on christmas eve and the most joyful part is to have time together and make it. When I have visited my daughters at their student homes I have made the biggest lasagne in the world and let them invite their friends for a nice homemade meal.

A golden rule: You can add as much garlic and chili you want into a lasagne. Finely slice fresh chili and garlic. Have it into a jar with olive oil. Spread a teaspoon of glimmering, greasy stars between the layers.

You can use many types of vegetables in the layers in a lasagne: 

1. Some vegetables need to be marinated, pre baked or grilled as the pumpkin in this recipe. You can do the same with sweet potatoes, beetroots, carrots, eggplants, mushrooms, asparagus and leeks.
2. Some vegetables needs marinating like the broccoli in this recipe. You can do the same with cauliflower, bell peppers, kale, fresh beans, peas and squash.
3. Some vegetables can be used without any preparations like the spinach in this recipe. You can do the same with sprouted beans and seeds, courcettes, cherry tomatoes and corns from a tin.

You need:

• 300g dried lasagne sheets
• extra virgin olive oil
• 4 big handfuls of Parmesan cheese, grated

Tomato sauce:

• Dobbel portion of tomato sauce as described in an earlier post

Béchamel sauce with ricotta:

• 100 g butter
• 2 tablespoons of plain flour
• 1 liter milk
• salt and pepper
• fresh nutmeg, grated
• 500 g fresh ricotta

Vegetables:

• 100 g spinach, washed
• 100 g broccoli florets
• 100 g pumpkin, peeled and chopped

Marinate for the pumpkin and broccoli:

• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon dried chili
• salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

This is how you make wonderful veggie lasagne:

• Start to make the tomato sauce. When you make the dobbel portion of the tomato sauce it need longer time for simmering. Let the tomato sauce simmer while you make the rest of the preparations.

• Preheat the oven for 200 C / 400 F.
• Have garlic, coriander, cumin, chili, salt and pepper into a morter. Grind the spices and add olive oil.

• Put the pumpkins into a bowl and drizzle over olive oil with the spices. Mix well.

• Pour the pumpkins onto a tray lined with baking parchment.
• Spread the cubes and roast for 20 minutes in the oven. 

• Cut the broccoli to small florets.
• Put the broccoli florets into the same bowl with the remaining spices and olive oil from the pumpkins. Give the broccoli a nice massage into the remaining flavours.

Béchamel sauce with ricotta:

• In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium-low heat until melted.
• Add the flour and stir until smooth.
•  Add milk to the butter mixture 1 cup at a time, whisking continuously until very smooth.
• Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
• Cook 10 for minutes, stirring constantly, then turn off the heat.
• Add fresh ricotta cheese and stir. Set aside until ready to use.

Now everything is ready and you can make the layers

• Find a medium lasagne dish and rub it with a little olive oil
• Spread a quarter of the tomato sauce across the bottom.
• Cover with lasagne sheets. Breaking any as necessary to fit so that everything is covered. I use a scissors.

• Spread a new layer of a quarter of the tomato sauce.
• Spread a layer of spinach. Add some salt and pepper and sprinkle over with olive oil.

• Top with a quarter of the béchamel sauce.
• Cover with lasagne sheets.
• Spread a new layer with the tomato sauce.
• Spread a layer of broccoli.
• Top with a quarter of the béchamel sauce.

• Cover with lasagne sheets.
• Repeat with a new layer of tomto sauce.
• Spread a layer of pumpkin.
• Top with a quarter of the béchamel sauce.

• Finish with a final layer of lasagne sheets. If you have some tomato sauce remaining, spread it out.
• Finish with the remaining béchamel sauce.
• Sprinkle over with grated Parmesan.
• Drizzle over with olive oil.

• Cower with aluminium foil the first 20 minutes, take it off and bake without the last 20 minutes.
• Place in the preheated oven to bake for 40 minutes.
• Let the lasagne rest for 15 minutes before you serve it.
• I usually turn off the oven and let the lasagne rest in the oven until everyone is gathered around the table.

Leftovers: Lucky you if you get leftovers. The lasagne taste even better the next day.