Vegetables Recipes - Farmhouse Vegetable Lasagne

Ingredients                                                                  

• 75 g/3 oz/1/3 cup butter

• 3 leeks, sliced

• 3 celery sticks, chopped

• 1 parsnip, finely diced

• 2 carrots, finely diced

• 400 g/14 oz/1 large can chopped tomatoes with herbs

• 15 ml/1 tbsp tomato puree (paste)

• 10 ml/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

• 50 g/2 oz/1 cup button mushrooms, sliced

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 5 ml/1 tsp clear honey

• 20 g/3 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour

• 150 ml/2/3 cup milk

• 150 ml/2/3 cup single (light) cream

• 2.5 ml/1/2 tsp dried mixed herbs

• 100 g/4 oz/1/2 cup cottage cheese with chives

• 6-8 sheets no-need-to-precook lasagne verdi

• 75 g/3 oz Cheddar cheese, grated

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Method:

1. Melt 25 g/1 oz/2 tbsp of the butter and fry (sauté) the prepared vegetables, stirring, for 4 minutes until slightly softened and turning golden.

2. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce, mushrooms, a little salt and pepper and the honey.

3. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the mixture has formed a thick sauce.

4. Meanwhile, whisk the flour with a little of the milk in a saucepan. Stir in the remaining milk and the cream and add the remaining butter and the herbs.

5. Bring to the boil and cook for 2 minutes, whisking all the time until thickened and smooth. Season to taste.

6. Put a thin layer of the vegetable mixture in the base of a greased, shallow, ovenproof dish. Top with a layer of lasagne sheets.

7. Spoon over half the vegetable mixture, then half the cottage cheese, then a layer of lasagne sheets. Repeat the layers, then spoon the white sauce over.

8. Sprinkle with the Cheddar cheese and bake at 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5 for 35-40 minutes until golden brown and the lasagne feels tender when a knife is inserted down through the centre.