Roast vegetable lasagna

Roasted vegetables can be amazingly flavourful and satisfying if cooked correctly. Often people are faced with limp, soggy vegetables that are quite lacklustre which naturally creates a strong dislike for them. The key to great roasted veg is cooking it at a high temp and adequate seasoning. Caramelisation equals major flavour so don’t be afraid of any slightly charred edges.

I often try to incorporate roasted veg into my meat free Monday dishes as a quick way to get something delicious on the table that’s not boring. It’s a very adaptable ingredient that can be used easily to create a variety of different dishes.

Let’s get cooking…

Start off by chopping the veg into roughly 1cm sized pieces, you can use any veg that your family likes. My favourites for dishes like these are mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers and red onions. Lay them out in a single layer on a baking sheet, use 2 trays if you need to because you don’t want to overcrowd the pan. Sprinkle liberally with olive oil, salt, pepper and some dried herbs and toss everything together to get all the veg coated in the seasoning. Throw on the garlic cloves but keep them in their skins to prevent burning.

While the vegetables roast you can start with the béchamel or white sauce. Melt the butter in a pan and add flour, stir continuously to allow the flour to cook, this removes the raw taste from the sauce. Once the mixture is bubbling and cooked through, add a little bit of the milk and whisk vigorously, then add in the remaining milk and whisk until thick. Season with salt and pepper and once the vegetables are done mash in the roasted garlic to the sauce and mix well to incorporate.

Now you’re ready to start layering the lasagne, place 2 tablespoons of the white at the bottom of a roasting dish, then add your first layer of lasagne noodles (I use a square oven proof dish which fits 2 sheets of lasagne perfectly). Spoon over half of the roasted vegetables and dot the pesto all over and cover with a third of the remaining béchamel. Repeat the layers ending with a layer of lasagne noodles and a final layer of béchamel. Sprinkle over some parmesan cheese and bake.

Serve with a leafy, vinegary salad to cut through the richness.