Roasted Vegetable Lasagna
The first dish we ever made together — my boyfriend and I, shoulder to shoulder, building a lasagna for twelve. I never would have tackled a recipe this big on my own. Layers of roasted courgette, aubergine, pepper and mushroom in a rich tomato sauce, creamy béchamel and three cheeses.
Prep
90 min
Cook
55 min
Total
145 min
Servings
12
Ingredients
- 290 g dry lasagna sheets
- 4 medium courgettes, cut into large chunks
- 3 medium aubergines, cut into large chunks
- 3 red peppers, cut into large chunks
- 600 g mushrooms, quartered
- 2 large onions, roughly chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ⅔ kg ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 440 g ricotta
- 340 g mozzarella, grated
- 130 g parmesan, grated
- 70 g unsalted butter
- 70 g plain flour
- 850 ml whole milk
- 65 ml olive oil
- 1 ¾ tsp dried thyme
- 1 ¾ tsp dried basil
- 1 ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 pinch nutmeg
Method
- 1
Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Cut the courgettes, aubergines, peppers and mushrooms into large chunks. Spread over two large roasting trays. Drizzle with 4 tablespoons of olive oil, season with salt, pepper, thyme and a little basil. Roast for 25–35 minutes until the edges are lightly caramelised. Do not skip this step — roasting the vegetables first prevents the lasagna from becoming watery.
- 2
While the vegetables roast, make the tomato sauce. Heat the remaining olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 8–10 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- 3
Add the tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper, thyme and basil. If the tomatoes are very acidic, add a pinch of sugar; if underripe, stir in a tablespoon of tomato paste. Simmer over low heat for 25–30 minutes until the sauce thickens. Stir in the roasted vegetables.
- 4
Make the béchamel: melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and stir for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk, a little at a time, until smooth. Cook until the sauce thickens to a pourable cream. Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.
- 5
In a small bowl, mix the ricotta with half the parmesan (≈65g). Set the remaining mozzarella and parmesan aside.
- 6
Lower the oven to 180°C (355°F). Grease a large baking dish. Layer the lasagna as follows: a ladle of tomato sauce → lasagna sheets → ricotta mixture → vegetable tomato sauce → béchamel → mozzarella. Repeat. Finish with a generous layer of béchamel, the remaining mozzarella and parmesan. **Note:** If your lasagna sheets are not 'no-boil', check the packet instructions — most dry sheets can go in straight if there's enough sauce.
- 7
Cover tightly with foil. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes until the top is deep golden and bubbling.
- 8
Rest for 20–30 minutes before slicing. This is important — cut too soon and it will fall apart.
Nutrition per serving
470kcal
Calories
21g
Protein
37g
Carbs
25g
Fat