Not tooting my own horn or anything but my vegetarian lasagne rocks. I know this because Misses 8 and 10 demolish bowls and bowls of it every time I cook it.
What makes this lasagne so tasty and hearty is the pumpkin, which is mashed and stirred into the pasta sauce base. This means it is almost invisible to children who believe their parents are trying to kill them by serving them vegetables they don’t approve of. Especially Miss 10, who describes pumpkin as her enemy.
Fresh pasta sheets minimise the fuss of this recipe. I keep unused pasta sheets in a Ziplock bag in the freezer and I always have the rest of these ingredients at hand, making this a great go-to dish.
This is a great week night dinner, especially if you are doing Meatless Monday or trying to ease back on the amount of meat you consume.
Add as much cheese as you dare. Ditto with the olives. We go through kalamata olives in this house like there’s no tomorrow! Ensure you buy pipped or sliced varieties so you’re not biting down on an olive pip – that is seriously unfun.
This meal is great as left-overs the next day, too.
Gather:
1/2 butternut pumpkin, diced (skin off)
Finely diced onion
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
Pack fresh lasagne pasta sheets
Two, 410 gram tins of chopped tomatoes
Big handful pitted black olives
Tin of brown lentils, drained & rinsed
400 grams grated mozzarella cheese
Italian herbs
Decent splash red or white wine
Let’s get to it:
Preheat oven to 170C and grease a casserole ceramic or Pyrex dish.
Bring a large pot of water to the boil, add pumpkin and cool until soft and tender.
Drain, then mash. Set aside.
In a clean, deep pan gently fry onion & garlic until golden. Reduce heat and stir in mashed pumpkin, both tins of tomatoes, herbs, lentils, and wine. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often.
Place 1/3 of pasta sauce onto the bottom of the dish, then top with pasta and 1/3 of the cheese.
Repeat layers until sauce is finished, ensuring the top layer is sauce and cheese.
Bake for 25 mins or until cheese is melted and golden.
