This recipe for grilled vegetable lasagne needs no introduction. A winter classic, updated with fragrantly charred grilled vegetables. Preferably serve by the fire with a glass of red wine. Chin chin !
For the grilled vegetables:
Approximately 1.5 kgs organic pumpkin, seeds & skin removed, sliced.
2 medium organic eggplants, sliced.
3 medium organic zucchinis, sliced.
Dried organic oregano & dried organic rosemary to sprinkle.
Organic extra virgin olive oil, S&P.
Tomato sauce:
1 large organic onion, finely diced.
2 organic garlic cloves, minced.
Handful of organic parsley, finely chopped.
680gm jar organic tomato passata.
1/2 cup organic veg or chicken broth.
1 tsp sugar.
Organic extra virgin olive oil, S&P.
Béchamel:
1/4 cup organic butter
1/4 cup organic flour (or gluten~free flour)
1 litre organic milk
3/4 cup organic cheese, finely grated (I used a mix of cheddar & parmesan)
S&P to taste
For the lasagne:
Instant lasagne sheets (regular or gluten~free)
Organic mozzarella, finely sliced.
1/4 cup organic breadcrumbs (optional)
Method:
Preheat a heavy based saucepan on medium heat, add a glug of olive oil & the finely diced onion. Sprinkle with a little salt, stir to combine & reduce heat to low to allow the onions to caramelise for 15~20 minutes.
Meanwhile, sprinkle the sliced vegetables with some olive oil, the organic dried herbs & a little pinch of salt. The eggplant absorbs a lot of oil, so it may need another little splash of oil whilst it’s grilling. Leave to sit whilst you finish your tomato sauce.
Once the onions are nicely caramelised, add the garlic & parsley, turning the heat up to medium ~ cook for a minute or two until the garlic is fragrant.
Pour in the passata, stock, sugar & a good crack of pepper. Bring to a rapid simmer, before turning down the heat. Allow to simmer gently, stirring occasionally.
Whilst the passata is bubbling away, preheat your bbq or a cast iron griddle pan to medium high. Grill your veggies in batches until cooked through & nicely charred. Once the veggies are grilled it’s time to move on to the béchamel.
Preheat a medium heavy based saucepan over medium heat, adding the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the flour & whisk briskly to form a smooth paste. Then slowly add the milk, continuing to whisk briskly to avoid lumps. I find it easiest to add the milk in increments, then give a solid whisk, before adding more milk. Repeat. Once all the milk has been added & your arm is tired from whisking, allow the mix to thicken gently over low to medium heat, whisking often to check that it’s not catching on the bottom of the pan & for any stray lumps. Do not let it boil, as this will curdle the sauce. Once the milk has thickened into a thin pancake batter consistency, add the grated cheese & whisk to combine. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
Preheat your oven to 180c.
Layer your lasagne ingredients in a deep baking dish, starting with tomato sauce. Then add grilled vegetables, some béchamel & top with lasagne sheets. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, reserving enough béchamel to generously cover the top of the lasagne. Top with the mozzarella & the breadcrumbs (if using)
Cover with foil & bake for approximately 45 minutes. Remove the foil & return to the oven for a further 30 minutes, or until the lasagne is golden & bubbly.
Image & Recipe by Jessica Bull @jessicaelisebull
