This is an ideal Sunday lasagne – it’s heat and comforting, however fast and wholesome. I’ve substituted the bechamel for a herb and pecorino creme fraiche, which helps to maintain this recipe mild, making the vegetable ragu the star. Be at liberty to mess around with greens all year long, as this works equally properly with aubergine and pumpkins when they’re in season.
Serves 6
For the courgette ragu
good olive oil 200ml
scotch bonnet chilli 1, halved (non-obligatory)
garlic 6 cloves, roughly chopped
basil leaves 6, roughly chopped
courgettes 3 medium, diced into 2cm cubes
celery 2 sticks, diced into 2cm cubes
carrots 2, diced into 2cm cubes
pink onion 2, finely diced
mint leaves 4, roughly chopped
white wine 200ml
tinned tomatoes 400g
lasagne sheets 400g, cooked in salted boiling water for 1 minute or till tender, laid on a tray, dressed with olive oil – if utilizing recent sheets, there isn’t a have to boil them
For the creme fraiche and herb topping
creme fraiche 700g
pecorino 80g, grated
tarragon 4 tbsp, finely chopped
flat-leaf parsley 4 tbsp, finely chopped
chives 2 tbsp, chopped
Place a heavy-based medium-size saucepan on a low warmth and add the olive oil, the halved scotch bonnet (if utilizing), garlic and basil leaves, and permit to infuse for 1 minute. Take away the scotch bonnet and add the diced greens and mint, turning the warmth as much as medium. Season liberally with salt and pepper.
Cook dinner the greens for about 10 minutes, stirring each couple of minutes to make sure they’re evenly browning. As soon as they’ve began to color, add the wine and cut back by half, then add the tinned tomatoes and cook dinner for 20 minutes or so. Style for seasoning, then flip off the warmth and put aside.
To make the creme fraiche topping, place the creme fraiche in a medium pan on a medium-low warmth and cut back by a 3rd. Do stir this often as you don’t need it to catch and taint the style and color. Add half the pecorino and all of the herbs, and season with slightly salt and loads of black pepper, then put aside.
Preheat the oven to 180C fan/fuel mark 6. In a big oven-proof baking dish, add sufficient of the ragu combine to cowl the bottom, adopted by a layer of lasagne sheets. Unfold one other third of the ragu over the lasagne sheets, and repeat this course of twicemore, ending with the lasagne sheets on prime. Add the creme fraiche topping and the remaining pecorino, and bake for 20 minutes or till golden and effervescent. Serve with rocket wearing lemon, oil and extra freshly grated pecorino.
Mattie Taino is a chef-consultant and cookery lecturer for Damson Jelly Academy
