Beetroot Ragu Lasagna

Mar 16, 2019 | 1 comment

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Beetroot Ragu Lasagna

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. I’ve come up with a long list of possibilities and I’m working my way through them. Lasagna is currently featuring weekly on my meal plan! The first one was a mushroom ragu, flavoured with thyme. Another favourite to add to my folder!  I’ve rounded up all the lasagna I’m doing, plus a few other suggestions, and I’ll be adding to it as we go along. This weeks version uses a beetroot ragu with an unusual addition of orange.

Verdict

Absolutely delicious! Serve with a bit of salad, garlic bread or cooked vegetables. I asked my husband if he could identify the mystery ingredient (the orange) and he couldn’t. If you know it’s there, you can taste it, but it really acts like a seasoning and adds another layer of flavour.

I added a few crushed walnuts to our salad as walnuts are another classic flavour combination with beetroot

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.

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, a mushroom one, this beetroot one, and a falafel layer one will be next!

I looked up what flavours go well with beetroot and decided to use orange. You could use an apple instead. Or just beetroot without anything else.

You could use horseradish rather than mustard too.

 

Faggots & Gravy
beetroot lasagna - vegetable lasagna

beetroot ragu lasagna

5 from 1 vote
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Simmer bechamel, can be omitted: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Course:
Dinner
Cuisine:
Italian
No Nuts by Llisole from the Noun Project
Nut Free
,
Vegetarian by Philipp Petzka from the Noun Project
Vegetarian
freeze by Hare Krishna from the Noun Project
Freezes Well
Servings: 4 people
Cost per portion 67p a serving
Calories: 472kcal
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Ingredients

Ragu Layer

  • 2 tblsp butter £1.45/250g, 17p
  • 1 onion a large one, finely chopped, 75p/kg, 8p
  • 2 packs beetroot 250g packs, 65p each, £1.08
  • 2 clementines or an orange, 30p
  • 2 tsp garlic granules £1.09/115g, 10p
  • 1 tsp grainy mustard heaped spoon, 3p
  • salt & pepper

Bechamel Layer

  • 50 g butter Asda £1.45/250g, 29p
  • 50 g flour value, 45p/1.5kg
  • 500 ml milk £1.09/2.27litres, 24p
  • 0.5 tsp nutmeg fresh, grated - optional
  • 2 bay leaves optional

Pasta

  • 100 g flour value, 45p/1.5kg, 3p
  • or 4 lasagna sheets

Topping

  • 80 g cheddar £3.69/825g, 36p

Instructions

To Make The Ragu Layer

  • The pack of beetroot I had was 250g, Asda ones are 300g. You could either just use the whole pack, or use the extra in a salad
  • Melt the butter in a pan and saute the onion until cooked through. Put the beetroot in a bowl and mash them up, or chop finely on a chopping board. Add the cooked onion, garlic and mustard. Zest the orange or clementine into the bowl. Then peel and chop the flesh finely. Mix into the beetroot mix.  Season well

To Make Bechamel

  • For the bechamel layer, melt the butter in a saucepan, then 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. Infuse with a bay leaf or two if you have any
  • To make the dish vegan, use plant milk, a vegan spread, a vegan cheese and either make pasta sheets or use a vegan version
  • Simmer very gently for around half an hour with the lid on. This prolonged cooking time really does improve the flavour, but if you don't have the time, go straight to the next step
     click here to start a 30 minute timer 
  • Add a little grated nutmeg right at the end if you have any. 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 beetroot ragu into 3 sections in the saucepan. Divide the bechamel into 4 sections in the saucepan. Divide the cheddar into 4.
  • Layer one
    Ragu
    Bechamel
    sprinkle with cheddar
    Pasta or lasagna sheets
  • Layer two
    repeat
    Ragu
    Bechamel
    sprinkle with cheddar
    Pasta or lasagna sheets
  • Layer three
    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 180c for about half an hour until golden and bubbling.
     click here to start a 30 minute timer 

Notes

Priced at Asda using mySupermarket, March 2019
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.
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.
I added a few crushed walnuts to our salad as walnuts are another classic flavour combination with beetroot
I looked up what flavours go well with beetroot and decided to use orange. You could use an apple instead. Or just beetroot without anything else.
You could use horseradish rather than mustard too.
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Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
beetroot ragu lasagna
Amount per Serving
Calories
472
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
27
g
42
%
Saturated Fat
 
17
g
106
%
Cholesterol
 
76
mg
25
%
Sodium
 
338
mg
15
%
Potassium
 
348
mg
10
%
Carbohydrates
 
43
g
14
%
Fiber
 
2
g
8
%
Sugar
 
11
g
12
%
Protein
 
14
g
28
%
Vitamin A
 
900
IU
18
%
Vitamin C
 
20
mg
24
%
Calcium
 
310
mg
31
%
Iron
 
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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1 Comments

1 Comment

  1. Kayleigh Watkins

    I’ve never been a fan of beetroot, but love lasagne xx

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