This showstopper takes a little extra time to make but we promise you it’s worth it. It’s a lasagne like you’ve never tasted before. The fresh herbs and zesty béchamel sauce make this dish feel super indulgent while at the same time lighter and fresher than a traditional lasagne. It’s low in fat and salt, and a great one to freeze in portions for emergencies.
Typical nutritional content (per portion)
1 butternut squash
2 courgettes
1 large head of broccoli
100g baby spinach
50g feta cheese
200g wholemeal lasagne sheets
75g reduced-fat white cheddar cheese, grated
For the béchamel sauce:
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
1.75 litres of low-fat milk (or fortified plant alternative)
3 sprigs of fresh parsley
½ tsp grated nutmeg
6 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
Handful of mint leaves, chopped
Handful of basil leaves, chopped
80ml olive oil
80g white flour
Freshly ground black pepper
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
4 tablespoons of nutritional yeast flakes (if you can’t get these, you can use 100g of reduced-fat mature Cheddar cheese instead)
Basil leaves, to garnish
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
Peel and chop the butternut squash and courgettes (unpeeled) into bite-sized chunks. Spread onto a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes until cooked but not mushy.
Meanwhile, cut the broccoli into small bite-sized florets and boil for 3 minutes, then blanch in cold water to bring out the green colour.
Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Add to a medium sized pan with the milk, parsley, nutmeg, peppercorns and bay leaf. Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally to avoid burning, then take off the heat and leave to infuse for 10 minutes.
To make the roux, gently heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, and whisk in the flour, a spoon at a time, until the flour is fully absorbed and you are left with a thick paste, or roux. Strain the milk through a sieve and slowly add to the roux, a small amount at a time. The mixture will loosen and begin to look like a thick creamy sauce. It should be the consistency of custard – just add a splash of milk to thin the sauce or continue cooking to thicken the sauce further.
Stir in the mint, basil, lemon zest and juice, pepper and nutritional yeast flakes or cheese.
In a large bowl, mix the cooked butternut squash, courgettes and broccoli with the spinach leaves, crumbled feta and two thirds of the béchamel sauce
Spoon half the creamy vegetable mix into a large, oven-proof casserole dish and cover with a layer of lasagne sheets. Spoon the rest of the creamy vegetable mix on top, followed by another layer of lasagne sheets. Top with the remaining béchamel sauce, white cheddar cheese and basil leaves to garnish.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the top blisters and turns golden.
