Name: Vegan lasagne
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: Serves 6
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 large onions; 2 carrots, finely chopped; 1 bulb fennel, chopped; 2 sticks celery, finely chopped; 250g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped; 2 cloves garlic, crushed; 200ml red wine; 3 tbsp tomato purée; 1 tbsp soy sauce; 2 sprigs rosemary; 2 bay leaves; 250g brown or green lentils, rinsed; 800ml vegetable stock; 1 courgette, trimmed and sliced; ½ (the longer, thinner half), peeled and thinly sliced squash; 8-10 vegan lasagne sheets, fresh or dried (boil briefly and drain well if using dried); 2 tbsp olive oil; 50g plain flour; 500ml unsweetened plant milk; 2 tsp English mustard; a grating nutmeg

A golden vegan lasagne in a baking tray with one square taken out of it

2 tbsp olive oil
2 large onions
2 carrots
finely chopped
1 bulb fennel
chopped
2 sticks celery
finely chopped
250g chestnut mushrooms
finely chopped
2 cloves garlic
crushed
200ml red wine
3 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 sprigs rosemary
2 bay leaves
250g brown or green lentils
rinsed
800ml vegetable stock
1 courgette
trimmed and sliced
½ (the longer, thinner half), peeled and thinly sliced squash
8-10 vegan lasagne sheets
fresh or dried (boil briefly and drain well if using dried)

WHITE SAUCE

2 tbsp olive oil
50g plain flour
500ml unsweetened plant milk
2 tsp English mustard
a grating nutmeg

Method

step 1
Heat 1 ½ tbsp of the oil in a deep frying pan or casserole over a medium heat, and fry the onions, carrots, fennel and celery with a pinch of salt for 10-15 minutes or until softened.
step 2
Add the mushrooms and garlic, and fry for another 10 minutes until tender, then stir in the wine. Bubble until reduced by half, then stir in the tomato purée and soy sauce.
step 3
Add the herbs, lentils and stock, bring to a bubble and simmer, half covered, for 35-40 minutes or until the lentils are tender and the sauce has thickened. Season well and remove from the heat.
step 4
Heat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Toss the courgette and squash with the remaining oil, and season. Transfer to a roasting tin in a single layer and roast for 15-20 minutes or until tender.
step 5
Meanwhile, to make the sauce, heat the oil in a pan and sprinkle in the flour. Stir to make a paste, then gradually add the milk, a splash at a time, until it’s all been incorporated. Cook for 2-3 minutes more until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in the mustard and nutmeg.
step 6
Reduce the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Spoon a third of the ragu into a baking dish. Add the roasted squash in a single layer, then spoon over a third of the white sauce, spreading it to the edges. Top with another third of the ragu, then half the lasagne sheets, trimming them to fit into the dish. Spoon over another third of the white sauce, then top with the courgette slices, the remaining ragu and lasagne sheets. Finish with the rest of the white sauce. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden and bubbling.