Saturday, June 7, 2008

VEGETARIAN LASAGNE


VEGETARIAN LASAGNE
Ingredients (serves 6)
2 x 400g cans cherry tomatoes* or crushed tomatoes
100g unsalted butter
100g (2/3 cup) plain flour
1L (4 cups) full-fat milk
Good pinch of ground nutmeg
1/2 cup good-quality pesto
300g fresh lasagne sheets
300g fresh buffalo mozzarella* or bocconcini, thinly sliced
200g grated parmesan
8 vine-ripened cherry tomatoes
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lightly grease a 5cm deep, 20 x 30cm baking dish.
Drain tomatoes, reserving juice. Place juice in a pan with butter, flour and milk. Whisk over low heat for 5 minutes or until sauce thickens. Cook 2 minutes further and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Place 1/4 of the sauce in the prepared dish, swirl through 1 tablespoon pesto and cover with a sheet of lasagne.
Add a little more sauce and another tablespoon pesto, then cover with half the mozzarella, half the drained tomatoes, 1/3 of the parmesan and a lasagne sheet. Repeat this layer. Cover with remaining sauce and sprinkle with remaining parmesan. Dot vine-ripened tomatoes on top. Bake for about 35 minutes or until cooked through and golden on top. Rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with salad.
NOTE: Also layer some spinach, mushrooms and carrots, zucchini, eggplant and tomatoes. Layer sauce, pasta, vegetables and the bechemel as many times as will fit in the dish i have. just make sure to precook the veggies and DRAIN well otherwise you end up with a soggy mess.

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