Vegetarian Lasagne

The amount of vegetables used here makes me go 'WOW'. But, please don't be put off by the long list of the ingredients because this really is a luscious and nutritious portion of great-value comfort food I'm sure you'll enjoy. 

So, if you're asking yourself 'How to include more veggies in my diet?', this recipe is your answer!

Ingredients:

For the ragu:

• 5 carrots
• 2 onions
• 1 courgette
• 1 green pepper
• 1 red pepper
• 150 g mushrooms
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 can chopped or plum tomatoes
• 500 g passata
• a bunch of basil
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• salt and pepper, to taste
• ghee butter

For the bechamel sauce:

• 4 tablespoons rice flour
• 1,5 cup water
• 0,5 cup coconut milk (you can substitute for the cow's milk if you wish)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon finely grated Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• salt and pepper, to taste

Plus:

• 2 aubergines
• 250 g grated mozzarella

Preparation:

Ragu

1. Peel and wash the carrots. Cut them into small cubes and sizzle with 1 tablespoon of ghee butter in a large frying pan or skillet over a medium heat. 
2. After 10-15 minutes, add the finely chopped onions and mushrooms with a good seasoning of salt and pepper and a splash of water. Press the garlic, add in and cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally. 
3. Chop the courgette and peppers very finely and add to the sauce.
4. Pour the passata and canned tomatoes in. Add the spices, chopped basil and apple cider vinegar. Season to perfection with salt and pepper and simmer on a low heat until all the veggies are cooked and the sauce has slightly reduced.
5. Meanwhile, wash the aubergines and cut them into 0,5 cm discs. Put on a large baking tray lined with baking paper, sprinkle with some sea salt and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes until quite soft.
6. Prepare the béchamel sauce. Pour the water in a medium saucepan. Add the butter, Parmesan, lemon juice and a good grind of salt and pepper. Bring to the boil.
7. In a separate bowl, mix the rice flour with coconut milk until smooth and you cannot see any lumps. Pour into the saucepan stirring quickly and continuously until the mixture is creamy and smooth and the sauce has thickened.
8. Now, it's the time to put the lasagne together, but first pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Lightly butter (use ghee butter) an ovenproof dish (25x25 cm).
9. Arrange a layer of the baked aubergine slices on the bottom. Spoon 1/3 of the ragu, then 1/3 of the béchamel sauce. Continue layering until you get three layers:

aubergines - ragu - bechamel sauce   x3

1. Sprinkle over the mozzarella.
2. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown on top and bubbling around the edges.
3. Serve and enjoy :)