Ingredients / Shopping List
9 strips lasagne400ml milk30g flour30g margarine½ tsp dry English mustard1 tablespoon mayonnaise20g mature cheddar400g tin kidney beans1 large red onion2 sticks celeryI onion2 cloves garlic1 tblsp corn oil40g tomato puree400g tin plum tomatoesBunch fresh basil1 tsp dried oreganoSalt and freshly ground black pepper50g mature cheddar150ml vegetable stock
9 strips lasagne
400ml milk
30g flour
30g margarine
½ tsp dry English mustard
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
20g mature cheddar
400g tin kidney beans
1 large red onion
2 sticks celery
I onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tblsp corn oil
40g tomato puree
400g tin plum tomatoes
Bunch fresh basil
1 tsp dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
50g mature cheddar
150ml vegetable stock
Prep to Cook: Deep oblong lasagne dish, small saucepan, whisk, spatula, medium saucepan, wooden spoon, chopping board, vegetable knife. Pre-heat oven 190ºC or Gas 5
Prep the vegetable layer:
Peel, slice and dice the onion.
Peel and grate the garlic on a small grater
Open the tin of tomatoes and mix in the tomato puree
Fry the onions and garlic with the tablespoon of oil until just browning
Add the drained tinned beans
Stir in the tomatoes, ripped basil leaves, teaspoon dried oregano and salt and pepper.
Cook for 5 minutes on the hob or put into a microwave dish and simmer for 2 minutes in the microwave.
Prep the sauce:
In a saucepan using the all-in-one method, add the flour, margarine and milk
Whisk until the mixture boils and thickens
Stir in the mustard and the mayonnaise and 20g grated cheese.
Create the Vegetable Lasagne:
Grease the dish base and sides
Place layer of lasagne to cover the base
Spoon over half the hot vegetable mixture and top this with more lasagne
Add the remaining vegetable mix and top with the final 3 pieces of lasagne
Cover this with the white flavoured sauce
Top with grated cheddar and cook in the oven for 45 minutes
Vegetable Lasagne is affordable and nourishing. It uses some store cupboard ingredients and can also use up left over vegetables. It will freeze for use later.
Cooks Know How: Vegetable Lasagne is a pasta based meal that is ready-to-eat. You prepare three parts, the lasagne, flat rolled pasta; the vegetable part and the white sauce topping. Bought fresh or dried pasta can be used depending upon availability and price restraints. The vegetable layer can include any vegetables you have that are left over from other cooking. Pulses such as the kidney beans give texture to the mixture and support the layers of pasta well. The tomato base needs to be well flavoured with the herbs, oregano and basil and enriched with tomato puree.
The white sauce is flavoured, rather like a Bechamel, so that the cheese does not dominate too strongly. It covers the top layer of pasta to keep it soft during cooking and adds juiciness to the dish that makes it easy to eat.
This dish demonstrates the skills of vegetable cookery, sauce-making and pasta cooking. The use of the oven allows all the flavours to bake together whist the pasta absorbs the flavoursome juices and softens, as the starch gels. On the surface the sprinkled cheese melts and browns. The resulting pasta dish is easy to portion and almost a complete meal in itself.
When considering the production of the dish it is one that lends itself to manufacture in bulk, making two takes relatively little more time than making one. The dish freezes beautifully, thaws and re-heats easily. Nutritionally vegetable lasagne provides a well balanced, low fat meal of protein, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins all in one serving.