Green Lentil & Courgette Lasagne

Ingredients (Serves 6):

• 200g green lentils

• 2 courgettes, washed & grated

• 2 small red onions, diced

• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed

• ½ tsp dried thyme

• 600g passata (tomato sauce)

• whole grain lasagne sheets

• 160g quality mild cheddar, grated

• For the bechamel

• 70g butter

• 70g whole flour

• 900ml whole milk

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Fry the onions with the garlic and thyme until soft. Rinse the lentils in cold running water and then add them to the onions. Fry for a couple of minutes before topping with cold water. Cook for 35 minutes or until the lentils are soft but not quite breaking apart. Drain and toss with lots of olive oil, salt & a splash of red wine vinegar. Return to the pot and and add the passata or tomato sauce. Cook out for a further 5 minutes. Toss in the grated courgette & set aside.

For the bechamel, prepare as you would, melting the butter in a thick bottomed pan before adding the flour to create a thick paste. Slowly add the milk until your bechamel is a light sauce, about the consistency of double cream. Season with salt, pepper and a little nutmeg if you have it.

Drizzle the bottom of a casserole dish with olive oil and layer it with your pasta sheets. Add the lentil sauce making sure that it is still a loose consistency, like Bolognaise. Add a drizzle of bechamel on top of the lentils, followed by another layer of pasta sheets. Repeat until you reach the top of the dish. Pour the remaining bechamel over the final layer of pasta, cover the dish with parchment paper & aluminium foil and bake for 45 minutes or until the pasta is soft and cooked through.

Once it’s ready, remove from the oven & sprinkle your cheddar on top. Grill or bake for a further 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown and blistering.

Serve with greens or a fresh garden salad. Delicious!