Tomato, Leek & Spinach Lasagne With Fresh Basil & Nutmeg

Tomato, Leek & Spinach Lasagne

With Fresh Basil & Nutmeg

Serves 8

Vegan/ Dairy Free/ Nut Free

This is one of the most delicious lasagne we have ever tasted, plant based or not. It will be relished by vegans and non vegans alike, as it is proper lasagne, with all its marvel! Made with fresh produce, a homemade tomato sauce and a lovely nutmeg laced béchamel, this is incredibly tasty and wholesome. We have added an optional sprinkle of crumbled vegan feta to serve, which completes this beautiful dish.

Ingredients

For the tomato & veggie sauce

125ml vegetable broth

2 white onions, finely chopped

4 leeks, white part only, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

5 large tomatoes, finely chopped

340g jar of passata

2tbsp tomato paste

2tbsp vegetable stock powder

1tsp salt

1/2tsp freshly ground black pepper

1tsp onion powder

1tsp maple syrup (or sweetener of your choice)

150g fresh baby leaf spinach

25g fresh basil, roughly chopped

1tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

For the béchamel sauce

8 heaped tbsp vegan butter (use non-hydrogenated or homemade)

8 heaped tbsp white Spelt flour

1lt unsweetened soy milk, warmed

1tsp freshly ground nutmeg

1tsp vegetable stock powder

1tsp salt

1/4tsp white pepper

1bsp nutritional yeast

To put together:

12 sheets white lasagne

8 sheets green spinach lasagne

Some boiling hot water

1 oiled rectangular ovenproof dish, About 35 x 25 x 10cm (min 7cm deep)

Some basil leaves and some crumbled vegan feta for serving (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven at 180C.

In a large deep pan, heat the vegetable broth. Add the onions and the leeks and reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook gently for about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and continue to sauté for another minute.

Add the tomatoes. Raise the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes. Then add the passata, the tomato paste, the vegetable stock powder, the salt, the pepper, the onion powder and the maple syrup. Stir everything in and continue to cook for another 10 minutes.

Throw in the spinach and turn off the heat. Allow the spinach to wilt into the tomato sauce and finally stir in the basil and the parsley. Set aside.

For the béchamel, first make a roux. Melt the butter in a medium deep pan. Add the flour and cook over very low heat for a couple of minutes. Gradually pour in the warmed milk and use a whisk to incorporate with the butter and flour, making sure no lumps remain. Continue whisking over low-medium heat, until the béchamel begins to thicken. Add the nutmeg, the vegetable stock powder, the salt, the pepper and the nutritional yeast and mix. When it resembles a thick custard, it's ready. Set aside.

Place a large oven tray over the hob, add boiling water to the rim and keep it simmering very gently. Add 4 white sheets of lasagne and 4 green and let them soak for 2 minutes.

Using tongs, lift the 4 white sheets out of the water and lay them flat into your baking dish. They may slightly overlap, depending on their size. Ladle a couple of spoonfuls of the tomato and veggie sauce and spread over the lasagne. Then spoon a couple of spoonfuls of the béchamel on top, spreading everything evenly. Next, layer the 4 green sheets of lasagne and repeat the process. Continue with another 3 layers, alternating the green and white sheets and finishing with the white, reserving a good portion of tomato sauce and béchamel, to spoon over the top layer. Finally, with a spoon, lightly swirl the béchamel and the tomato sauce together, to create a pretty pattern.

Bake for 40-50 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving. If you like, sprinkle some crumbled feta and a few basil leaves over each plate.

Enjoy!

Notes

For colour and taste, we have used two different types of lasagne, one with spinach and one plain, but this is not necessary. 

Do select fresh produce for this recipe, as it will make all the difference. 

The béchamel can be made with other plant based milks, but using soy milk will yield the best result. Spelt flour works wonderfully for this béchamel and is of higher nutritional value. It tends to absorb more liquid, creating a lush, thick consistency. However, plain flour or gluten free flour will work nicely too.

We find that even the precooked lasagne need soaking for a couple of minutes before assembly, or they may end up chewy, unless you are using a very liquid sauce. Using a flat shallow tray to soak them in is perfect, because the sheets lay flat, without sticking and will never overcook in the small quantity of water.