Original recipe of the week: Butternut and lentil lasagne

This is a great update on an old classic and could easily be something you put together on a weekly basis. The lentils really add an interesting texture and you can never go wrong with a little butternut! Coming from someone who is a die-hard meat eater, this is a delicious vegetarian dish. Eat it straight out of the oven or lukewarm as a lovely summer dinner.

Butternut and lentil lasagne

Serves: 2-3

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 90 minutes

What you will need: 

Filling

1 medium butternut squash

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Few leaves of basil, torn

3 cloves garlic, bruised

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 sticks celery, finely chopped

1 tin of tomatoes

100g lentils

Worcestershire sauce, to taste

Small pinch of fresh parsley, chopped

Cheese sauce

750ml milk

50g butter

60g flour

Salt

Pepper

30g parmesan

4-6 lasagne sheets

40g grated parmesan

To serve

Wild rocket

Olive oil

What you need to do:

Filling 

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Peel and cut the butternut squash into 4cm cubes.  Toss in a little oil to coat, then season with salt and pepper. Place in a roasting tray with the basil leaves and garlic, and roast for 20-25 minutes or until lightly coloured.
3. Fry onion in a little oil until soft.  Add garlic and celery and fry for two minutes.
4. Add chopped tomatoes, with their juice, and cook until they begin to break down.
5. Add lentils and chopped herbs and stir well.
6. Cover with water and cook on a low heat, adding water as required until completely soft.
7. Season well with salt, pepper, sugar and Worcestershire sauce. 

Cheese sauce

1. Melt the butter, take off the heat and add the flour, cook again for one minute. Remove from the heat, gradually add the milk then bring to the boil.
2. Stir for ten minutes until the flour taste has cooked out. Stir in the grated parmesan and season.
3. Grease an oven-proof dish, spread about a tablespoon of sauce over the bottom, then cover base with lasagne sheets. Spread half the lentil filling and half the roasted butternut squash over the pasta sheets. Top with a third of the sauce.  Repeat with the remaining pasta sheets and filling.
4. Cover the last sheet of pasta with the remaining sauce and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
5. Bake at 180°C until the lasagne has cooked through and the cheese has melted and lightly browned before serving.

Lightly dress rocket leaves with a little olive oil and place on the side of the lasagne to serve.

Jessica Spiro