I recently made a really good lentil ragu which I thought would work well as a lasagna. It did and it was very good indeed.

This led me to think of other vegetable based mixes that I could substitute for the lentil ragu layer.  The first one is a mushroom ragu, flavoured with thyme. And this has become another favourite to add to my bulging folder!

Mushroom Ragu Lasagna

To serve 2

Mushroom Ragu Layer

1 tblsp butter or olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
stalk celery, finely chopped, if available
300g mushrooms
1 tsp garlic granules or a crushed garlic clove
15ml soy sauce
salt and pepper

Bechamel layer

25g butter
25g flour
250ml milk
fresh grated nutmeg (optional)
a bay leaf or two (optional)
salt and pepper

50g flour or lasagna sheets
40g grated cheddar for layering

To make mushroom ragu

• Melt the butter in a pan and saute the onion until cooked through.
• Add the sliced mushrooms, celery and garlic.
• Sizzle for a bit, then add the soy sauce and thyme.
• Cook until all the moisture has evaporated.
• This step is important. If there is too much water remaining your lasagna may be soggy. Season well

To make bechamel

• For the bechamel layer, melt the butter in a saucepan.
• Add the flour and stir around to mix and cook a little.
• Now add half a cup of the milk and stir continuously until the milk is absorbed.
• I like to use a small whisk for this.
• Repeat until all the milk has been used.
• Now simmer very gently for around half an hour with the lid on. This prolonged cooking time really does improve the flavour, but you don’t have to do it.
• Infuse with a bay leaf or two if you have any and add a little grated nutmeg right at the end if you have any.
• Now season well with salt and pepper, taste and adjust.
• Use a little spoon of mustard as well if you like.
• All the seasonings are added at the end of the cooking time as the heat of the cooking reduces their flavour. We still have to cook it in the oven of course.

To make pasta

• If you want to make pasta, for cheapness, or to make the dish vegan – for 2, put 50g flour in a bowl and add enough cold water to make a pastry like dough. For 4, use 100g flour.
• Knead a little, or just leave in the bowl for a couple of hours and the gluten will develop.
• Divide into 3. Roll out each third to the thickness of a credit card and approximately the shape of your dish.

Or just use value pasta sheets.

Layer up your lasagna

Now layer up your lasagna in an ovenproof dish

• Divide your ragu into 3 sections in the saucepan.
• Divide the bechamel into 4 sections in the saucepan.
• Divide the cheddar into 4.

 

• Ragu
• Bechamel
• sprinkle with cheddar
• Pasta or lasagna sheets

 

• repeat
• Ragu
• Bechamel
• sprinkle with cheddar
• Pasta or lasagna sheets

 

• repeat
• Ragu
• Bechamel
• sprinkle with cheddar
• Pasta or lasagna sheets

 

• Now top it all off with the last layer of bechamel.
• Sprinkle with the last cheddar

Bake at 180℃, fan 160℃, 350℉, gas mark 4 for about half an hour until golden and bubbling.

 

Verdict

Absolutely delicious! Serve with a bit of salad, garlic bread or cooked vegetables

Variations

• Use plant milk, a vegan spread and a vegan cheese for vegans, or just leave out the cheese part.
• If you can’t find lasagna sheets without egg, and you want to make this vegan, you could try making pasta, it’s really not very difficult.
• Swap the mushroom ragu layer out for beetroot and orange, green pea hummus or anything else that is a tasty mix

I’ve found that this can be used as a basic recipe for lasagna, just changing the ragu layer for all sorts of other things. I‘ve done a lentil one, now this mushroom one, and a beetroot one may be next, although there are so many flavours to try, I can’t decide which one to do!