Spinach Lentil Lasagna Food

SPINACH & LENTIL LASAGNA

Steps:

• Wash and pick over the spinach, and steam it until just limp.
• Drain it and chop it.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and boil the lasagne noodles until soft enough to work with.
• Rinse them under cool water, and drain well.
• Spread the bottom of a 9"x13" lasagne pan with several spoonfuls of the tomato sauce.
• Lay down 3 lasagne noodles over it, and cover them with more sauce.
• Sprinkle with one third of the cheese curds, one third of the lentils and one third of the chopped spinach.
• Sprinkle over 1/2 teaspoon each of the basil and oregano.
• Continue layering noodles, sauce, cheese, lentils, spinach and seasonings.
• Finish with a layer of noodles, covered in sauce, then sprinkle over the grated cheeses, and the last of the basil and oregano.
• Bake at 350°F for 30 to 45 minutes.

VEGGIE LASAGNE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Put the peppers, courgette and sweet potato into a large baking tray. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the oil, season with salt and pepper and toss together.
• Roast for 30 minutes, or until softened and lightly browned.
• While the vegetables are roasting, heat the remaining oil in a large saucepan and gently fry the onion for 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
• Add the chilli and garlic and cook for a few seconds more. Stir in the tomatoes, Italian seasoning (or dried oregano) and crumbled stock cube. Pour over the water and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring regularly. Set aside.
• For the cheese sauce, put the flour, butter and milk in a large saucepan and place over a medium heat. Whisk constantly with a large metal whisk until the sauce is thickened and smooth. (Use a silicone covered whisk if cooking in a non-stick pan.) Stir in roughly two-thirds of the cheeses and season to taste.
• Take the vegetables out of the oven and add to the pan with the tomato sauce. Stir in the spinach and cook together for 3 minutes. Season with salt and lots of ground black pepper.
• Spoon a third of the vegetable mixture over the base of a 2½ -3 litre/4½-5¼ pint ovenproof lasagne dish and cover with a single layer of lasagne. Top with another third of the vegetable mixture (don't worry if it doesn't cover evenly) and a second layer of lasagne.
• Pour over just under half of the cheese sauce and very gently top with the remaining vegetable mixture. Finish with a final layer of lasagne and the rest of the cheese sauce. Sprinkle the reserved cheese over the top.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the pasta has softened and the topping is golden brown and bubbling. Stand for 5 minutes before cutting to allow the filling to settle.

SPINACH LASAGNA

Steps:

• If you're using dried pasta, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. If you're using fresh pasta sheets, cut them into long wide noodles approximately 3 inches by 13 inches, or a size that will fit into your lasagna dish. Cook the noodles (6 at a time for dried noodles) until they are tender but still underdone (they will finish cooking as the lasagna bakes); fresh pasta will take only a minute. Drain and then lay the noodles flat on a towel so they won't stick.
• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a rectangular baking dish with the olive oil, add a large dollop of tomato sauce and spread it around. Put a layer of noodles (use four) in the dish, trimming any overhanging edges; top with a layer of tomato sauce, one-third of the spinach, and one-fourth of the ricotta (use your fingers to spread it evenly), the mozzarella and the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper if desired.
• Repeat the layers twice, and top with the remaining noodles, tomato sauce, ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan; the top should be covered with cheese; add more ricotta and Parmesan as needed. (The lasagna may be made ahead to this point, wrapped tightly and refrigerated for up to a day or frozen. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.)
• Bake until the lasagna is bubbling and the cheese is melted and lightly browned on top, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest a few minutes before serving, or cool completely, cover well, and refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze.

ROAST PUMPKIN & SPINACH LASAGNE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Halve the pumpkin or squash, peel, deseed, then slice into 1cm slices. Toss with the oil in a roasting tin, season, then roast until tender and slightly charred at the edges. This can take up to 40 mins.
• Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce. In a pan, soften the onion in the oil for 5 mins, then add the celery and garlic and cook for 1 min more. Add the tomatoes and sugar, then leave to simmer, uncovered, for 30 mins. Stir from time to time. You should be left with a thick purée. Season to taste.
• Put the spinach in a saucepan with the water that still clings to it after washing, cover and put over a medium heat. Wilt the spinach for about 4 mins - you'll need to turn it over with tongs every so often to make sure it all comes in contact with the heat at the bottom of the pan. When completely wilted, leave until cool enough to handle, then squeeze the water out with your hands. Chop and put in a pan with the butter. Gently heat, tossing together so the spinach is coated in butter, then season with salt, pepper and a generous grating of nutmeg.
• For the béchamel sauce, bring the milk to the boil in a pan with the peppercorns, onion and bay leaf. Set aside for 5 mins to infuse, then strain the milk into another pan. Add the flour and butter, then gently heat, whisking all the while, until you have a thick, smooth sauce.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and assemble the lasagne. Butter a large gratin or baking dish, roughly 1.4 litres in capacity. Put a layer of pumpkin in the bottom followed by a layer of tomato sauce. Lay lasagne sheets on top of this, cutting them to fit if necessary (you don't want any overlapping). Now add a layer of béchamel followed by a scattering of spinach and half the cheese. Top with more lasagne sheets, pumpkin, tomato sauce, more lasagne and a final layer of béchamel sauce. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Bake for 40 mins, or until the lasagne is golden and bubbling.

LENTILS AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Heat oil in a heavy pan over medium heat. Saute onion for 10 minutes or so, until it begins to turn golden. Add minced garlic and saute for another minute or so.
• Add lentils and water to the saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil. Cover, lower heat, and simmer about 35 minutes, until lentils are soft ( this may take less time, depending on your water and the lentils).
• Meanwhile cook the spinach in microwave according to package directions. Add spinach, salt and cumin to the saucepan. Cover and simmer until all is heated, about ten minutes. Grind in plenty of pepper and press in extra garlic to taste.

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.

PUMPKIN & LENTIL LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200°C.
• In a large pan add the oil and cook the onion until softened.
• Stir in the zucchini and peppers and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add the garlic, pumpkin, lentils, tomatoes, stock, herbs and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until well combined and bring to the boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
• Mix the ricotta and sour cream together with half the cheese. Season well.
• Place 1/3 of the lentil sauce in the base of an ovenproof dish then top with lasagne sheets next layer 1/3 lentil sauce and 1/3 ricotta mixture, repeat. Top last layer with ricotta mixture and sprinkle with grated cheese. Depending on the shape of your dish you may need to adjust the layering.
• Bake in the oven for 30 - 40 minutes.
• Allow to sit for 5 minutes before slicing.

QUICK MUSHROOM & SPINACH LASAGNE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the garlic and cook for 1 min. Add the mushrooms and thyme, then cook for 3 mins until they start to soften. Throw in the spinach and stir until the heat of the pan wilts the leaves. Remove from the heat and stir in the soft cheese, 1 tbsp of the Parmesan and some seasoning.
• Put a quarter of the spinach mix on the bottom of a medium-sized baking dish, lay 2 pasta sheets on top, then repeat until you have used all the pasta. Finish with the final quarter of the spinach mix, sprinkle over the rest of the Parmesan, then bake for 35 mins until golden and the pasta is tender.

EGGPLANT AND LENTIL LASAGNE

Steps:

• Remove the stalk from the eggplant, then slice it lengthways into 1cm thick slices. Place a few slices in a colander which you have set over a large bowl. Scatter salt liberally over the slices, then keep on layering the slices using up the salt as you go. Allow the eggplant to release its juice over the next hour or so.
• While the eggplant is doing it's thing, start on your sauce. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat and then sauté the onion and garlic for two minutes. when the onion starts to soften, add the celery and carrot, stir well to thoroughly coat in oil, and sauté for a further five minutes.
• Add the wine if you are using it (or half a cup of water if you are not) and allow the wine to bubble, stirring through the vegetables. When the wine has reduced by half, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, lentils, parsley and enough water to cover the contents by a further 2cm. Season with salt and pepper, add the sugar and stir well, then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a slow simmer, cover the saucepan and simmer gently for an hour. From time to time, give the sauce a good stir - you may have to add another cup of water if it get's too dry. The lentils should become the consistency of cooked peas.
• Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large heavy-based frypan and add the rinsed and dried eggplant slices, a few at a time. Fry for about two minutes on each side until they start to turn golden brown and soften - drain on paper towel.
• To assemble: Preheat oven to 180°C Place a couple of large spoonfuls of lentils and sauce on the base of a large lasagne or gratin dish and smooth it out evenly. Place slices of eggplant over the top of the lentil mixture. Top with a layer of lasagne sheets. Continue layering and finish off with a layer of lasagne sheets.
• Top with warm béchamel sauce, then scatter grated parmesan over the top, or mozzarella, or tasty cheese if you prefer. Bake for 40 minutes until the lasagne sheets are cooked through and the top is golden and bubbling. If you need to, cover with a layer of foil to prevent the top colouring too much while the pasta cooks through.
• At this stage, you can allow it to cool to room temperature, then store it in the fridge, covered, for up three days. You can freeze it for up to one month. (Allow it to thaw before re-heating, covered in foil, for 45-50 minutes at 160°C).
• Remove from oven and let it sit on the bench top for ten minutes before slicing and serving.