Mary Berry: Vegetarian lasagne #1
This makes a real change from the classic lasagne and is well worth trying.
If I’m having a party, I often serve both a vegetarian and meat lasagne, and they’re equally popular. For variety, replace some of the mushrooms with butternut squash.
butter for greasing
500g (1lb 2oz) frozen leaf spinach, thawed and well drained
600ml (1 pint) hot white sauce (see recipe below)
200g (7oz) Emmental cheese, grated
about 6 sheets no-precooking-required dried lasagne
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
350g (12oz) button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced (see my note below)
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
40g (1¼ oz) plain flour
400g can chopped tomatoes
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp shredded fresh basil
1 First make the mushroom sauce: heat the oil in a nonstick sauté pan, add the onion and cook over a medium heat for about 5 minutes or until just beginning to brown. Add the mushrooms and garlic, stir, then cook for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and stir well.
2 Add the tomatoes, sugar and salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 15 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and thickened.
3 Preheat the oven to 190C (fan 170C/375F/gas 5). Grease a baking dish measuring about 25cm x 20cm (10cm x 8in) and 5cm (2in) deep.
4 Stir the shredded basil into the mushroom sauce. Spread a third of the sauce over the bottom of the dish.
5 Scatter a third of the spinach over the mushroom sauce, using your fingers. Spread a third of the white sauce over the spinach, then sprinkle with a third of the cheese.
6 Cover with a layer of lasagne sheets, not overlapping them. The dish will probably take 3 sheets, but you may have to break them to fit.
7 Repeat the layers of mushroom sauce, spinach, white sauce, cheese and lasagne sheets, then repeat the layers once more, finishing with the cheese. Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.
TO CLEAN, TRIM AND SLICE THE MUSHROOMS Wipe mushrooms with a damp cloth to remove any soil (do not wash them). Trim off the stalks with a paring knife. Place each mushroom stalk-side down on a board. Cut downwards into uniform slices with a chef’s knife.
Also known as béchamel, white sauce is a key ingredient in many French and Italian dishes and is the basis of many other sauces, including mornay sauce, which has the addition of cheese. The consistency of the sauce for my vegetarian lasagne (and also for the meat lasagne in Mary Berry Cookery Course) is medium-thick. If for a different dish another time you want a thinner sauce, use 30g (1oz) each of butter and flour, or for a thicker consistency use 50g (1¾ oz) of each.
MAKES 600ML (1 PINT)
40g (1¼ oz) butter
40g (1¼ oz) plain flour
600ml (1 pint) hot milk
salt and freshly ground black pepper
a few gratings of fresh nutmeg
1 Melt the butter in a pan placed over a medium heat until it has melted and is foaming. Sprinkle in the flour.
2 Using a hand whisk, whisk the mixture (or ‘roux’) for 1-2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
3 Gradually add the hot milk, whisking constantly. Return to a medium heat and whisk until boiling and thickened.
4 Check the sauce is smooth and the right consistency, then season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
If I’m having a party, I often serve both a vegetarian and meat lasagne, and they’re equally popular. For variety, replace some of the mushrooms with butternut squash.
SERVES 4
butter for greasing
500g (1lb 2oz) frozen leaf spinach, thawed and well drained
600ml (1 pint) hot white sauce (see recipe below)
200g (7oz) Emmental cheese, grated
about 6 sheets no-precooking-required dried lasagne
FOR THE MUSHROOM SAUCE
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
350g (12oz) button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced (see my note below)
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
40g (1¼ oz) plain flour
400g can chopped tomatoes
1 tsp sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp shredded fresh basil
1 First make the mushroom sauce: heat the oil in a nonstick sauté pan, add the onion and cook over a medium heat for about 5 minutes or until just beginning to brown. Add the mushrooms and garlic, stir, then cook for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and stir well.
2 Add the tomatoes, sugar and salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 15 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and thickened.
3 Preheat the oven to 190C (fan 170C/375F/gas 5). Grease a baking dish measuring about 25cm x 20cm (10cm x 8in) and 5cm (2in) deep.
4 Stir the shredded basil into the mushroom sauce. Spread a third of the sauce over the bottom of the dish.
5 Scatter a third of the spinach over the mushroom sauce, using your fingers. Spread a third of the white sauce over the spinach, then sprinkle with a third of the cheese.
6 Cover with a layer of lasagne sheets, not overlapping them. The dish will probably take 3 sheets, but you may have to break them to fit.
7 Repeat the layers of mushroom sauce, spinach, white sauce, cheese and lasagne sheets, then repeat the layers once more, finishing with the cheese. Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.
MARY’S NOTE
TO CLEAN, TRIM AND SLICE THE MUSHROOMS Wipe mushrooms with a damp cloth to remove any soil (do not wash them). Trim off the stalks with a paring knife. Place each mushroom stalk-side down on a board. Cut downwards into uniform slices with a chef’s knife.
White sauce
Also known as béchamel, white sauce is a key ingredient in many French and Italian dishes and is the basis of many other sauces, including mornay sauce, which has the addition of cheese. The consistency of the sauce for my vegetarian lasagne (and also for the meat lasagne in Mary Berry Cookery Course) is medium-thick. If for a different dish another time you want a thinner sauce, use 30g (1oz) each of butter and flour, or for a thicker consistency use 50g (1¾ oz) of each.
MAKES 600ML (1 PINT)
40g (1¼ oz) butter
40g (1¼ oz) plain flour
600ml (1 pint) hot milk
salt and freshly ground black pepper
a few gratings of fresh nutmeg
1 Melt the butter in a pan placed over a medium heat until it has melted and is foaming. Sprinkle in the flour.
2 Using a hand whisk, whisk the mixture (or ‘roux’) for 1-2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
3 Gradually add the hot milk, whisking constantly. Return to a medium heat and whisk until boiling and thickened.
4 Check the sauce is smooth and the right consistency, then season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
