Vegetarian Lasagna

Nutritional values

Estimated Nutrients Per 100 g

Energy ~145 kcal

Protein ~5.7 g

Carbohydrates ~18 g

Fat ~5.2 g

of which saturated fat ~2.5 g

Dietary fibre ~2.5 g

Ingredients

Ragu

• 2 onions

• 3 cloves garlic

• 200 g mushrooms

• 4 carrots

• 2 beetroots

• 1 can tomato paste

• 2 cans chopped tomatoes

• 1 vegetable stock cube

• 100 ml water

• Balsamic vinegar

• Olive oil

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 2 tsp paprika

• Salt and pepper

• a splash of white wine

• Optional: other spices and seasonings

• 150 g grated cheese (50/50 mozzarella and cheddar)

• Lasagne sheets

Mornay Sauce

• Butter

• Plain flour

• Milk

• 120 g grated cheese (50/50 mozzarella and cheddar)

• 1 tsp nutmeg

• Apple cider vinegar

• Salt and pepper

Step-by-step

Prep

1. Wash all the vegetables.

2. Peel the carrots and beetroots.

3. Grate all the carrots and beetroots.

4. Finely chop the onions and garlic.

Ragu

1. Sauté the onions in olive oil. After about 1 minute, add the garlic.

2. Add the mushrooms and sauté them together with the tomato paste.

3. If you feel like it, add a small splash of white wine.

4. Add everything else except the cheese.

5. Let the sauce simmer together for around 30 minutes — longer is absolutely fine.

6. Taste and adjust as you go with salt, pepper, and whatever other exciting spices you fancy.

7. A small splash of balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar can do wonders here.

Mornay Sauce

1. Put a good slice of butter into a hot saucepan.

2. Add a spoonful of plain flour and whisk thoroughly.

3. Once you have a consistent mixture, add the nutmeg and let it brown slightly while stirring.

4. Add a splash of milk.

5. The sauce will start to clump up. You haven't fucked it up yet.

6. Add a little more milk and whisk it through.

7. Rinse and repeat until you have a smooth, reasonably fluid sauce.

8. It is perfectly fine — and actually preferable — for the sauce to be more liquid than you ultimately want it to be at this stage.

9. Add the 120 g of cheese and whisk thoroughly until all the cheese has melted into the sauce.

10. Season with salt, pepper, and a splash of apple cider vinegar.

Building the Lasagne

1. Start with a deep ovenproof dish.

2. Spread a small amount of the ragu across the bottom.

3. Build the lasagne in the following order:

   • Lasagne sheets

   • Ragu

   • Mornay sauce

4. Repeat the layers until you either run out of space or run out of sauce.

5. Cover the dish with foil and place it in a preheated oven at approximately 180°C fan.

6. Bake for approximately 30-45 minutes.

7. Remove the foil and sprinkle the remaining grated cheese over the top.

8. Return the lasagne to the oven, uncovered, and let the cheese brown for approximately 10–15 minutes.

9. Remove the lasagne from the oven and let it rest for at least 10 minutes. Otherwise, you will end up with a seriously sloppy and watery lasagne.

10. Cut into portions and serve.

Any leftovers can be frozen. I normally wrap individual portions in foil, which makes it very easy to grab a serving from the freezer on a boring or busy day.

Notes and lessons learned

• Don't panic when making the Mornay. The sauce is supposed to thicken dramatically when you start adding the milk. Just keep adding milk gradually and whisking.

• Make the Mornay slightly more fluid than you think you need. The cheese will thicken it considerably, and the lasagne itself benefits from having enough moisture.

• Let the vegetable sauce cook for longer if you have the time. Around 30 minutes works, but a longer simmer gives the flavours more time to come together.

• Taste the sauce as it cooks. Salt, pepper, spices, and a little acidity can completely change the final result.

• Don't underestimate vinegar. A small splash of balsamic or apple cider vinegar adds acidity and can make the whole sauce taste much more lively.

• Rest the lasagne. Ten minutes might feel like an eternity when you've just taken a bubbling lasagne out of the oven, but skipping it will leave you with lasagne soup.

• Freeze individual portions. Future-you will appreciate having homemade lasagne ready to go when cooking feels like an unreasonable amount of effort.

Description

I started making this Lasagna when i had a period of wanting to challenge myself with vegan and vegetarian diet, and as such, forced myself to make foods that was compatible with that life style.

Lasagna is of course a very italian dish, however, I have possibly taken more inspiration of American-Italian cuisine. Though I have definitely taken the greatest inspiration of how my mother would make lasagna at home.

I think in general, it's a shame how overlooked beetroots are in Denmark, so I figured, I'd might as well add them in here. It's hearty, sweet, and gives a very nice flavoring to savory dishes.