The most wholesome, filling, hit that spot - comfort food you've been waiting for. I had actually never made a lasagne before, I always put it in the too-hard basket and I am not really into the bechamel. I am into ricotta though, and the herby spinach and ricotta later in this lasagne is such a great component to balance the acidity of the tomato passata.
Roast Vegetables:
olive oil
1.1kg jap pumpkin - unpeeled weight.
500-600gms once skin and seeds removed
2 zucchini
1 brown onion
2 red capsicum
dried herbs *sage, oregano, rosemary, thyme
Salt & Pepper
Spinach & Ricotta Layer:
250g frozen spinach - thawed
375 - 400g tub ricotta
1/2 cup grated cheese (mozzarella or parmesan)
1 tsp crushed garlic or 1 clove
1 egg
small handful of fresh basil and parsley
Salt & Pepper
Tomato Passata Sauce:
2 tbs olive oil
4tsp crushed garlic or 4 cloves
1 brown onion
1 jar tomato passata 600-700ml
1 tub of tomato paste or about 2 heaped tbs
400g tin diced tomato
1/2 cup water or stock
1 tbs dried herbs *sage, oregano, rosemary, thyme
Salt & Pepper
1tsp sugar *optional
fresh parsley and basil
Lasagne:
1 packet of 8 fresh lasagne sheets
2-3 cups grated cheese (mozzarella pref)
Roast the vegetables:
1. Pre-heat oven to 200°c and line 2 roasting trays with paper.
2. Remove the skin and seeds from the pumpkin, the seeds from the capsicum and top & tail the zucchinis and discard. Thinly slice with a knife or mandoline all the vegetables, about half a centimetre thick, long and thin works best.
3. Mix all the veggies together and split them across the two baking trays. Drizzle generously with olive oil, sprinkle with dried herbs, salt and pepper then roast for 30-40mins until softened. Use tongs or a spatula to flip them over halfway.
Tomato Passata Sauce:
1. While the vegetables are roasting start the sauce. Thinly slice the onions and finely dice the garlic cloves.
2. Heat a large pan (with a lid if you have one), over low-medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, generous drizzle of olive oil, dried herbs and a scrunch of salt and pepper, mix well, pop the lid on and let gently sweat and cook down until soft and translucent. Low and slow is best to not burn.
3. Add the passata, tinned tomatoes, water/stock, tomato paste and sugar, and mix well. Simmer on medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes with the lid on and then an extra 5-10 minutes with the lid off. Taste and adjust salt or sugar as needed. Should be thicker but still watery/juicy.
4. When the passata is ready, take two large scoops of passata from the pan and set aside. This will be for your final layer.
5. Add the roast veggies to the remaining passata and mix well. Chop the fresh herbs and stir in. Put the lid on to keep warm and set aside.
Spinach & Ricotta Layer:
1. Remove the leaves from the stem and finely chop the herbs.
2. Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well until combined.
Layer the Lasange:
1. Preheat oven to 180°c and lightly oil the base and sides of a large lasagne dish. Get all your components ready to start layering the lasagne. You should have plain passata, the saucy vegetable mixture, the herby spinach ricotta, fresh lasagne sheets and some grated mozzarella.
2. Spread a small amount of the plain passata on the base of the dish to stop the lasagne sheets from sticking. Then lay the base of the dish with a layer of lasagne sheets, be sure to go all the way to the edges and cut sheets as needed to fit gaps.
4. Cover with the saucy roasted vegetables and use a spoon to evenly spread. Sprinkle a light layer of cheese and then a layer of lasagne sheets on top.
5. Evenly spread all the ricotta mixture and cover with the final lasagne sheets. Pour over the remaining plain passata sauce and sprinkle with cheese.
6. Bake in the oven for 30-35mins. Use a knife to feel if the sheets are cooked all the way through, then finish off under the grill until the top layer is golden and crisp.
R E C I P E N O T E S
- The veggies are better when they are thinly sliced into long thin pieces. Diced into cubes is not ideal for this recipe.
- When the veggies are added to the passata the pumpkin should get a little mushy when mixed through. If veggies don't feel cooked enough you can simmer them in the sauce with the lid on.
- Lasagne always tastes better the next day. But if you have prep time, roast the veggies and make the passata the day before. Then reheat together before layering.
- Fresh lasagne sheets work best. You can find these in the fridges at your local grocery store. If using dried sheets you may need to add more water to your sauce, as the lasagne sheets will absorb the water to cook through.
- You will need a large lasagne dish for this recipe. I use the Baccarat 38cm Lasagne baking dish. Alternatively, you could halve the recipe and use a smaller dish, or make two smaller ones. If you do, reduce the cooking temp to 160°c
- Store in the fridge for up to 5 days or freezer for 3 months. Reheat in the microwave or wrap a serving in foil and reheat in the oven.
- You can make everything ahead of time and refrigerate it. Or layer and store in the fridge until ready to bake.
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