Ingredients
For the lasagne
- 2 aubergines
- 2 onions
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 carrot
- 100 grams mushrooms
- 1 red pepper
- 800 grams tinned tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 250 ml red wine
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 15 grams fresh basil (chopped)
- 1 packet lasagne sheets
- 300 grams spinach
- 50 grams Parmesan cheese
- 60 grams Cheddar cheese
For the bechamel sauce
- 60 grams butter
- 3 tablespoons plain flour
- 500 ml milk
- 250 grams ricotta cheese
- half vegetable stock cube
Method
1. Thinly slice the aubergines, salt and leave for twenty minutes. Then clean and grill until brown under a moderate heat.
2. In a large pan in heated olive oil, cook the onions until golden then add the carrot and garlic. Cook down for a few minutes. Then add the sliced mushrooms and sliced pepper, cooking until tender.
3. Add Tomato paste, vinegar, wine tin tomatoes and sugar and boil for a moment or two.
Reduce the heat and simmer for an hour, then add the basil. Making this a day in advance is good-it brings out the flavour.
4. Bechamel- heat the butter in a pan then add the flour stirring over a low heat until golden.
Meanwhile, heat the milk and then add to the roux (butter and flour mixture) sprinkle the ceg. cube and dissolve, boil on a lowish heat until thickens.
5. Simmer for two minutes or so.
6. Mix in the ricotta until smooth and then add salt and pepper.
Preheat oven to 180 C
7. In a large ovenproof dish put a thin layer of the tomato mixture, then layer some of the lasagne sheets on the top. Now add the tomato mixture over the lasagne sheets, followed by spinach then a layer of the aubergine, then some of the bechamel sauce. If you can make another layer, finishing with the pasta then the bechamel sauce.
8. Sprinkle the cheeses on the top then put in the oven for 45-50 minutes. Until the cheeses are golden and the pasta is cooked.
9. Allow to rest for ten minutes, before cutting.
Recipe by Ana Maria Morro