This was my first experience making a lasagne – something I have been putting off for a while now. In fact, I’ve had a box of lasagne sheets stored away in my cupboard for ages but each time I go round to making it I either think, ‘Ahh, let’s just do a spag bol, we know spag bol’ or ‘I’d rather spend the time in the bath drinking prosecco dregs tbh’.
But no, last night I took the lasagne plunge and did it.
Truth be told, I thought it was going to be horrendous. I found the process frustratingly stressful (maybe that was more because I was resenting not being on the sofa in front of the fire watching Michael Palin). SO MUCH STIRRING, SO MUCH ASSEMBLING, I thought. But the result is so, so worth it and I’d like to think that next time I’ll be far more poised for layering those spoonfuls of delightedness in to the dish: ready for action.
This serves 4 nicely, but feel free to double up if you’re feeding a larger table. I went with less meat and more veg (more texture and flavour opportunity that way) – and I’ve added a vegan option in there if you wanted to… Totally adaptable. There’s also no garlic or onion to keep it Low Fodmap – which actually makes it a lot easier as there’s less mincing and chopping.
Lazy cook? Me? Why, of course I bloody am!
- For the filling:
- 1 tbsp garlic infused oil
- 1 courgette, diced
- ½ aubergine, diced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 250g beef mince, or vegan mince
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried chives
- salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tin of tomatoes and half a tin of water
- For the sauce:
- 4 tbsp butter, or vegan butter
- 4 tbsp gf plain flour
- 3 cups of lactose free milk, or any plant milk
- 4 tbsp grated cheese, or nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
- salt and pepper
- Pack of gluten free lasagne sheets
- Fresh basil leaves, torn
- Heat the oil in a large pan and add all the veg, frying for 10 minutes until nicely tender. Then add in the mince and brown off before adding in the tomato puree, tinned tomatoes, herbs and seasoning. Bring to the boil then simmer whilst you make the sauce.
- For the sauce, simply heat the butter on a gentle heat and mix in the flour. Gradually add in the milk, stirring constantly to ensure it doesn't burn. Allow to bubble up then simmer to let it thicken, then take off the heat and stir in the mustard, cheese and seasoning.
- Assemble the lasagne! Add in about ¼ of the filling, then a good couple of spoonfuls of the white suace. Layer on the sheets, then repeat. For the final layer, add the mince, the sauce, and then the torn basil leaves. You can also add more cheese here if you want!
- Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes, until bubbling, and serve with a fresh salad.
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