Recipe: Juno's Lasagne

Nobody forgets their favourite childhood dish, and this is mine: A reimagining of my mother Juno's lasagne using lots of delicious veggies.

Tinned cannellini beans, silken tofu, miso, and nutmeg make up the bechamel, adding even more fiber to the dish.

You can choose whether the cheese topping is plant-based or dairy, and it's delicious served with your favourite refreshing salad.

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 1½ hours

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 40 g dried porcini mushrooms

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 350 g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 2 carrots, finely diced

• 1 celery stick, finely diced

• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 70 g sundried tomatoes, thinly sliced

• 1 × 400 g tin green lentils and their liquid

• 1 x 690 ml bottle passata

• 2 tsp miso

• 20 g basil, finely shredded

• 1 x 400 g tin cannellini beans, drained (reserve 5 tbsp liquid)

• 150 g silken tofu

• ¼ tsp grated nutmeg

• 9 sheets of wholewheat lasagne (160g)

• 200 g grated cheese of choice (Cheddar or a plant-based alternative)

• salt and black pepper

Swap: Any white beans for cannellini

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/375°F/gas 5. Pour 350ml boiling water over the dried mushrooms and set aside.

2. Place a large heavy-based pan (one with a lid) over a high heat with the olive oil, and sauté the chestnut mushrooms with a pinch of salt for 6-8 minutes until turning golden.

3. Reduce the heat to medium, then add the onion, carrots, and celery along with 2 tablespoons of water. Cover with a lid and sweat for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook, covered, for 2 minutes more.

4. Add the sundried tomatoes, lentils and their liquid, passata and miso, mixing to combine. Drain the mushrooms with a sieve, add their soaking liquid to the pan and finely chop the mushrooms before adding these to the pan too. Stir, season generously with salt and pepper, and simmer with the lid on for 10 minutes. Add the basil and simmer for 5 minutes more, then taste and adjust the seasoning.

5. Pour the cannellini beans and the 5 tablespoons reserved liquid into a blender with the tofu and nutmeg then blitz until completely smooth. Season generously with salt and pepper.

6. To assemble, spoon a third of the lentil raqu into a 23 x 27cm rectangular baking dish. Top with 3 sheets of lasagne, a third of the cannellini bechamel and 2 tablespoons of cheese. Repeat twice more, then top with the remaining cheese. Bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes, or until the lasagne is bubbling and the cheese golden.

Enjoy!