Vegetarian lasagne pie (recipe)

It’s not cake though, mummy? – JD, 4

We were standing in a well-known high street bakery this weekend when my husband, Mark recalled his favourite bakery from years back, which specialised in an intriguing dish called a lasagne pie. Apparently it was about the size of a large pork pie and was so tasty that he became all but addicted to this lunch time treat until the day the bakery closed.

Now, I like a challenge. Could I make a lasagne pie that lived up to his memories? Could I avoid excessive fat and make it a balanced lunchtime meal?

I set to work and this is the result, which got Mark’s glowing seal of approval.

Ingredients

For the pastry

• 50g butter
• 100g flour
• 1 free range egg yolks
• 1/2 tbsp cold water

For the filling

• 200g tinned chopped tomatoes
• 1 clover of garlic
• 1 small onion
• 1/2 tsp dried mixed herbs
• 1 red pepper
• 1/2 pack of fresh egg lasagne sheets

For the white sauce

• 100ml milk
• 1 tsp plain flour
• 10g butter
• 25g cheddar cheese

You’ll also need a small, spring form, nonstick cake tin 12cm diameter, 3.5cm deep. Our is a child’s one from The Range.

Instructions

I’ve split this up into stages…

Preparation

1. Take the base out of the cake tin and use it as a guide to cut out 6 rounds of lasagne
2. Put the baking tin back together and grease it

Make the pastry case

1. Pulse the flour and butter in a food processor until it’s like bread crumbs
2. Add the egg yolks and water and blend until it comes together as a dough
3. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes
4. Preheat the oven to 160C (140C fan assisted)
5. Turn the dough out onto a flour-dusted surface and roll out as thin and round as you can
6. Lightly grease the cake tin and carefully line with the pastry. If it breaks up, it doesn’t matter, just patch it up as you go. As long as there are no holes, you’re fine. Aim to have a lip of pastry sticking up about the rim all the way round
7. Line with greaseproof and fill with baking beans
8. Bake for 15 mins then take out of the oven and remove the paper and beans
9. Return to the oven for a further 12-15 minutes until just turning golden and totally dry at the bottom
10. Allow to cool

Make the filling

1. Finely chop the garlic and onion
2. Dice the pepper
3. In a pan, warm half the olive oil and fry the onion, garlic and pepper gently until soft
4. Add the herbs and tomatoes and cook through for a couple of minutes
5. Allow to cool slightly

Make the white sauce

1. In a pan, melt the butter over a gentle heat
2. Stir in the flour, add the milk, then stir until completely smooth and slightly thickened
3. Take off the heat, grate the cheese, add and stir

Build the lasagne

1. Soak the lasagne sheets in a little boiling water for 5 minutes, then drain
2. Starting with the sauce, start layering up sauce, then a lasagne round, then sauce, finishing with a lasagne round
3. Top with the white sauce
4. Bake at 160C (140C fan assisted) for 30-35 minutes until cooked through (test with a skewer) and browned and bubbling on top

Serve warm with potato wedges, green beans and salad. Or eat cold at your desk.

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