Vegetarian Lasagne

Ingredients

For the lentil ragu
-2 tbsp olive oil
-1/4 pack of 500g frozen sliced onions
-1 carrot, finely diced
-1 celery stalk, finely diced
-3 garlic cloves, crushed
-150g (5oz) mushrooms, finely chopped
-100ml (3 1/2oz) red wine
-250g (8oz) ready cooked Puy lentils
-1 x 400g tinned chopped tomatoes
100ml (3 1/2oz) vegetable stock
-1 tsp dried mixed herbs
-1 bay leaf
-2 tbsp tomato purée

For the white sauce
-100g (3 1/2oz) butter
100g (3 1/2oz) plain flour
-600ml (7fl oz) semi-skimmed milk
-pinch of nutmeg
-9-12 dried lasagne sheets
-50g (2oz) Parmesan, grated
-100g (5oz) mozzarella, torn

Directions

To make the lentil ragu, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook for 5-6 minutes until starting to soften. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook for a further 5 minutes on medium.

When the vegetables are soft, add in the wine and cook until it is reduced by half. Wash the lentils in a sieve and tip into the pan, mix well to combine and then add the tomatoes, stock, herbs, bay leaf, 2 tbsp tomato purée and 1 tsp of ground black pepper.

Partially cover a lid on the pan cook on medium for 20-25 minutes. Add 1 tsp of salt when the ragu is nearly done. While the ragu is cooking, prepare the white sauce and preheat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, 180° C fan.

Melt the butter in a saucepan and then add the flour, mix until all combined and cook for 2-3 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and gradually whisk in the milk and nutmeg. When all the milk is added, return to the heat and bring to a gentle boil for 2 minutes, stirring, until you have a custard consistency.

In a large, ovenproof baking dish, layer up the lasagne. Start with ragu, followed by 3-4 lasagne sheets, depending on the size of your dish, top with white sauce and repeat until everything is used up, finishing with white sauce. Top with torn mozzarella and vegetarian cheese and bake in the oven for 40 minutes.