Vegetable Lasagna with mushrooms

Prep: 30 mins

Cooking: 30-40 mins

Ingredients

To buy:

30g dried porcini mushrooms

200g fresh chestnut mushrooms finely sliced

4 tablespoons tomato puree

1 vegetable stock cube or mushroom if available

1 x 500g pack of dried lasagna sheets or fresh if using

2 tablespoons double cream or creme fraiche (optional)

Store-cupboard essentials:

600ml water

olive oil

1 medium onion peeled and finely chopped

1 clove garlic

100g freshly grated parmesan cheese

20g butter

For Basic White Sauce

80g plain flour

80g butter

800ml milk

salt and pepper to season

nutmeg

SOAK the porcini in 600ml of boiling water for 10 mins in a small bowl. Drain the porcini, reserving the soaking liquid, and finely chop.

HEAT 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy bottom pan over a medium heat and fry the diced onion and chestnut mushrooms until soft and translucent. Next to this add the chopped porcini and garlic and cook for a further minute.

STIR in the tomato puree, stock cube and reserved porcini water. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 20-30 minutes until the sauce has reduced slightly and thickened. Season to taste with salt & pepper and add the cream if using.

MAKE the white sauce by melting the butter in a large non stick pan. Whisk in the flour to form a smooth paste. Remove the pan from the heat and slowly add the milk, continually whisking to avoid lumps. Return to the heat and whisk until it has thickened to a smooth consistency. Season with salt, pepper and a little grated nutmeg.

PREHEAT the oven to 180*C and start to assemble the lasagne by covering the bottom of a large oven proof dish (approx 25cm x 30cm) with a thin layer of the white sauce.

ADD a layer of the pasta, slightly overlapping and cutting to fit where necessary. Then spoon over a thin layer of the mushroom sugo. Lastly a coating of grated parmesan and then start again continuing until you have 3 or 4 of these layers finishing with the white sauce.

GIVE a final sprinkle of parmesan and dot with the butter before placing in the oven for 30 to 40 mins till golden brown and bubbling. TIP Just before cooking pour a tablespoon of milk into each of the 4 corners of the dish to prevent it drying out