Mary Berrys Butternut Squash Lasagne Food

MARY BERRY'S BUTTERNUT SQUASH & SPINACH LASAGNE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/Gas 6. You will need a shallow 2-litre (3½-pint) shallow baking dish. Place the squash and onions in a roasting tin, mix with the oil, season then roast for about 30 minutes until tender. (When you pierce the squash with a knife it should go through easily, but you don't want the squash to be mushy.) Add the mushrooms for the last 10 minutes. 2. Put the spinach in a colander in the sink, and pour over a kettle of boiling water until the spinach has wilted. Allow to drain, then press out as much of the water as you can. 3. For the tomato sauce, mix the tomato passata with the pesto. 4. Immerse the lasagne sheets in boiling water for 5 minutes until softened. 5. For the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a small pan then beat in the flour. Gradually whisk in the hot milk, stirring all the time, until the sauce thickens. Add the mustard and about three quarters of the cheese and continue to stir gently until the cheese has melted. Season well. 6. To assemble the lasagne, put a third of the roasted vegetables into the bottom of your ovenproof dish followed by a layer of spinach then a third of the tomato sauce and a third of the cheese sauce. Lay lasagne sheets on top of this. Top with half of the remaining vegetables, tomato sauce and cheese sauce. Add the last lasagne sheets and top with the remaining vegetables, tomato sauce and cheese sauce. Sprinkle the reserved cheese over the top. 7. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the lasagne is golden and bubbling on top.

CARAMELISED SQUASH & SPINACH LASAGNE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Tip the squash and garlic into a large roasting tin or dish (you can use the same one to assemble the lasagne to save on washing-up - ours was 35 x 40cm and 5cm deep). Tear over 4-5 sage leaves, drizzle with the oil and season well, then toss to coat. Roast for 40-50 mins, moving the squash around once or twice, until soft and caramelised. Squeeze the garlic from the skins and mash with the squash, leaving a few chunky bits for texture.
• Meanwhile, make the white sauce. Melt the butter in a large saucepan, and stir in the flour to make a sandy paste. Splash a little milk into the pan, stirring continuously to prevent lumps. Keep adding more milk, a little at a time, until the paste thins to a smooth, creamy sauce and the milk has all been used. Simmer for 1 min more. Stir in the mascarpone and half the parmesan. Season well and grate in a generous amount of nutmeg.
• Tip the spinach into a colander and pour over a kettleful of boiling water to wilt (do this in batches). Once cool enough to handle, squeeze the spinach over the colander to remove the water, then season and roughly chop.
• Remove half of the crushed garlicky squash from the roasting tin and set aside on a plate. Spread the remaining squash out over the base of the tin or dish you intend to serve the lasagne in. Ladle over about a quarter of the sauce, then top with a single layer of lasagne sheets, snapping them to fill any gaps. Make an even layer of spinach on top of the pasta, and top with another quarter of the sauce, more pasta, squash, sauce, pasta and finally the remaining white sauce.
• Scatter over the remaining parmesan, the mozzarella and pine nuts. If the oven is off, heat to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and cook the lasagne for 30 mins. Rub a little extra oil over 5 or 6 sage leaves, place them on top of the lasagne and return to the oven for another 15-20 mins until golden and bubbling. Leave to cool for 5 mins before serving.