Vegetarian lasagne with peppered cheese sauce and garlic and gruyere flatbread triangles

It’s nice, but why is the taglee-a-telly so big? – JD, 4

For a family of four, we eat a lot. We’re always moving and when we’re not moving, we’re eating. That’s just how it is!

For such a hungry family, lasagne is a brilliant solution because it’s quick, easy and can produce very decent portions (mine was MUCH bigger than the one above – oops).

Here’s my go-to recipe when everyone has rumbling tummies. It easily feeds 4-6 people, probably leaving some left over to eat later when you should be in bed freeze.

Ingredients

For the bolognese:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large red pepper
• 275g frozen vegetarian mince (I use ASDA’s Meat-Free Mince)
• 1 rounded tsp garlic granules
• 1/2 tsp of cumin
• salt and pepper
• 160g spinach, wilted and chopped
• 2 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
• 280g (half a jar) of tomato and garlic pasta sauce (I use ASDA, but really any sauce you fancy is fine)
• 2/3 pint water
• 1 pack of fresh egg lasagne sheets

For the white peppered sauce:

• 20g butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 25g flour
• 300ml milk
• 45g gruyere (check it’s the veggie type if you are, otherwise use any fruity vegetarian cheese)
• 100g cheddar
• 1 tsp coarse black pepper

For the flatbread triangles

• 100g gruyere (check it’s the veggie type if you are, otherwise use any fruity vegetarian cheese)
• 2 tsp garlic granules
• 2 Warburtons soft brown sandwich pittas

Instructions

Prepare the flatbread triangles

• Lay out the sandwich pittas face down
• Cover evenly with the finely grated gruyere
• Sprinkle 1 tsp of of garlic granules over each bread
• Place on a baking tray and set aside for now

Prepare the bolognese

1. Roughly dice the pepper
2. Warm the oil in a large, deep frying pan on a medium-high heat
3. Throw in the pepper, fry for a minute, then add the garlic , cumin, salt and pepper and fry for another minute
4. Add the mince and fry for a further few minutes until the mince is fully defrosted and warmed through
5. Put the spinach in a colander and drench in boiling water until wilted
6. Press the spinach to release the excess moisture then snip up roughly with scissors
7. Add the spinach to the pan, stir, then add the tomatoes, water and pasta sauce (the water allows the veggie mince to become tender while the sauce acts as a sweetener and thickener)
8. Bring everything almost to the boil, then turn down to a simmer for 10 minutes

Prepare the peppered cheese sauce:

1. In a fresh pan, warm the olive oil and butter on a low heat until melted
2.  Stir in the flour, then gradually add the milk, stirring briskly all the time to avoid lumps
3. Add the finely grated gruyere and cheddar, stirring until completely melted
4. Add the coarsely ground pepper

Bring it all together

1. Set the oven to 200C (180C in fan oven)
2. Layer a large lasagne dish with bolognese so it just covers the base
3. Add a layer of fresh egg pasta
4. Repeat until you run out of bolognese
5. Finish with the peppered cheese sauce
6. Place in the middle of the oven, with the flat breads on the shelf below
7. Bake everything for 10 minutes, then take out the flatbread, allow it to cool a little, then cut into eight triangles per bread
8. When the lasagne has been in for 15-20 minutes in total and the cheese is bubbling, it’s ready too
9. Serve it all up with salad and prepare to soak up the family adulation!

Let me know if you try it.

Disclosure: The flatbread part of this recipe was inspired by Warburtons, who are running a two-week Hi-Taste, Lo-Fat eating plan. Warburtons sent me some breads to test their eating plan. No payment was received. All posts are 100% honest.

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