Lentil Lasagne

Cook Time 2 hours

Serves 6–8

Ingredients

350g fresh lasagne sheets 

3 tbsp olive oil 

1 onion, finely diced 

1 carrot, grated 

2 sticks of celery, finely diced 

4 garlic cloves, chopped

2 cups dried lentils, washed well

½ cup white wine 

1 x 700g bottle of tomato passata 

Bouquet garni (4 sprigs of thyme, 1 bay leaf, 2 sprigs of parsley) 

Salt and pepper 

2 large handfuls of baby spinach 

1L water

Béchamel sauce

80g butter 

80g flour 

1L milk 

Pinch nutmeg 

1½ cups grated Parmesan cheese

Method

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, celery, and carrot, and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring regularly until softened. Season with salt and pepper. Add the lentils and stir through, then add the wine, followed by the passata, a litre of water, and the bouquet garni.

Cover with a lid and cook, stirring from time to time, for 1-1½ hours until the lentils are soft. Remove the bouquet garni, add the spinach, stir through, and season generously with salt and a crack of pepper. Turn the heat off.

While the lentil ragu cooks, make the béchamel sauce: melt the butter in a medium pot over medium heat, then add the flour and stir continuously for about 1 minute. Pour in a quarter of the milk, whisking vigorously to prevent lumps.

Whisk in the remaining milk. Whisk until the sauce comes to a boil and thickens. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper, and remove from the heat. Stir in the parmesan, reserving a handful for the top. 

Preheat the oven to 190°C. 

Evenly spread a few ladlefuls of the lentil ragu over the base of a 3-litre baking dish. Drizzle over a few spoonfuls of the cheese sauce and a sprinkle of parmesan.

Add lasagne sheets in one single layer, covering the sauce. Spread another few ladlefuls of the lentils and repeat the layers until you have four in total, finishing with the cheese sauce. Top with the reserved Parmesan.

Loosely place a piece of baking paper and foil over the lasagne and bake for 40-45 minutes. Remove from the oven and rest for at least 20 minutes to ensure the lasagne sets before serving.