After years of workshopping, experiments and small tweaks, I can definitively say that this is the best recipe for vegetarian lasagne. It is rich, hearty, feel-good food that is easy enough to make any day of the week, but is also the perfect dish to delight a dinner party. It bears the seal of approval of many non-veggie friends too, so you can trust that it's not just great vegetarian food. It's great food. This recipe serves 4 - because if experience has taught me anything, everyone will want seconds!
Ingredients:
- Dried lasagne sheets
- 1 large aubergine
- 1 ball of mozzarella
- Grated cheddar
- Oil (olive or vegetable)
- Fresh basil (optional)
For the Ragu:
- 2 medium red onions
- 2-3 cloves of garlic
- 200g mushrooms
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
- 300ml vegetable stock
- 100g red lentils (optional)
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp crushed chilli flakes
For the Roux:
- 50g butter
- 2 heaped tbsp plain flour
- 600ml milk
- 200g medium cheddar
- 1 tbsp english mustard
- Salt and black pepper to taste
I prefer using thin dried lasagne sheets over fresh pasta, as dried lasagne creates solid layers that are thin enough not to become too stodgy.
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
First, prepare the ragu. Heat oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Finely dice onions, add to the saucepan and gently fry for 2 minutes. Roughly chop your red pepper and mushrooms and fry for 5 minutes until softened. Finely dice your garlic cloves and add them to the mixture. At this point, you can choose to also add red lentils to the mixture, if you prefer a thicker ragu. Add the chopped tomatoes and slowly pour in the vegetable stock until the vegetables are just covered. If you are adding red lentils, you'll need to add more stock as the lentils absorb a lot of liquid while they are cooking. Flavour with the paprika and chilli flakes and stir well. Drop to a lower heat, place a lid on the pan and leave to simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
While the ragu is cooking, you can prepare the aubergine layers. Slice an aubergine into thin discs approximately half a centimetre thick - the thinner the better. Heat a generous splash of oil in a large frying pan and lower to medium heat. Fry the aubergine discs on both sides until soft and malleable, removing before they darken and become crispy. Place the friend aubergine discs on kitchen roll to remove any excess oil. Continue until all the discs are fried and set to one side.
Now begin the roux. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan on a low/medium heat. Add the flour and stir until it comes together to form a thick paste or dough. Gradually add splashes of milk, stirring briskly in between each splash until well combined. If lumps of flour remain in the sauce, you may find it easier to use a whisk to combine the mixture. At this point, the sauce should be smooth and a little runny - it will thicken once the cheddar is added, so don't be afraid to add more milk if the roux thickens too quickly. If you add too much milk, cook the sauce a little longer or increase the heat briefly. Add a teaspoon of mustard and salt and pepper to taste. Once you are happy with the base roux, add the coarsely grated cheddar, making sure to set some aside for the top of the lasagne. Stir the cheese into the sauce until fully melted and then turn off the heat.
Now you should have all your components to assemble your lasagne. To build a lasagne, thinly layer the ingredients in a rectangular oven dish. Your first layer should be lasagne sheets, followed by ragu, aubergine, roux; repeating this pattern with as many layers as possible until you run out of ragu. It is vital at this stage that you make sure there is enough liquid to cover each layer of lasagne, as too little liquid will result in dry and crunchy pasta. The final layer of lasagne sheets should be fully covered with the last of the roux, before being topped with the rest of the cheddar and strips of mozzarella.
Place your lasagne dish in the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes until the top is golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. To garnish, add whole fresh basil leaves to the top and serve with a green salad.
