Quick squash lasagne
Pasta has my heart like nothing else. My love affair with it was cemented when making stuffed agnolotti, caramelle and everything in between in restaurant kitchens, but it started with something simpler: my mum’s lasagne. This lasagne is something slightly different but still as nostalgic and comforting. It is the quickest I’ve made, ready for the oven in 10 minutes (not the hour it normally takes), yet there is still a rich deep tomato sauce and those crisp, baked edges to fight over.
I don’t pre-cook my lasagne sheets as they cook in the sauce and I like them a little al dente. If you prefer them softer you could use fresh pasta sheets here. This recipe was originally inspired by one of my all- time favourite cooks, Heidi Swanson of 101cookbooks.com.
SERVES 6
690g tomato passata
2 tablespoons extra virgin
olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
and chopped
a good pinch of dried chilli flakes
2 x 400g tins green or Puy lentils, drained (or 250g home-cooked)
1⁄2 a butternut squash (about600g), peeled and grated
50g black olives, pitted and chopped
2 tablespoons capers
the zest of an unwaxed lemon
a small bunch of basil, leaves picked
2 x 125g balls of mozzarella or vegan-style mozzarella
250g dried lasagne sheets
Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.
In a large bowl or jug, mix the passata with the oil, half a teaspoon of flaky sea salt, the chopped garlic, chilli flakes, drained lentils, grated squash, chopped olives, capers and lemon zest. Tear the basil leaves in half.
Spoon a quarter of the sauce into an ovenproof dish roughly 20cm x 30cm (I use an oval roughly the same size), tear over a third of one of the balls of mozzarella, then cover with pasta sheets. Repeat for another two layers: a quarter of the sauce, a third of a ball of mozzarella, a layer of pasta.
Finish with a final layer of sauce, then tear over the whole of the second ball of mozzarella, sprinkle with salt and pepper, top with the basil, and drizzle with a little more olive oil.
Bake for 30–35 minutes, until the mozzarella is deeply golden. Serve with a sharply dressed salad (I mix lemon juice, cider vinegar, mustard and extra virgin olive oil, and toss through a bowl of green leaves).
IMAGE: Isy Croker
RECIPE: One
Comments
Posted by Nathalie Castillo at 5:01 on the 21.01.22
Can I use something else instead of squash please as my husband doesn’t like squash. Many thanks.
Posted by G. C. O’Leary at 10:40 on the 23.01.22
I made this a while ago, from your book. I was surprised how light it was compared with other lasagnes I’ve made and eaten. I wouldn’t say it was quick to prepare but it was delicious.
Posted by Matt Short at 7:38 on the 27.01.22
I made this substituting spinach and kale – I drained it really well. I loved it. I will make it again and add a little cooked onion. I think this would be unnecessary using squash – which I will also try.
Home run for taste, time to make, and not too, too many ingredients.
Posted by Mark Morse at 10:49 on the 09.02.22
Hi there, does anyone have any idea how many home-cooked lentils this is referring to, 250g uncooked or cooked? Just doesn’t seem to make sense that 800g of tinned lentils only results in 250g of actual lentils, but maybe your tins are different than mine 🙂
Posted by Ann at 4:05 on the 19.02.22
Drained weight in a tin is 240g
Posted by Joan at 1:40 on the 29.11.23
Could this be made in advance? What are the options? Assemble day before? Freezer friendly? Freeze after assembly or after baking?
I made it months ago and it was delicious.