I LOVE lasagna. It’s a family favourite recipe too, and although you can’t beat a classic, I did want to try my hand at a vegetarian version with aubergines swapped in for the traditional lasagna pasta. Of course pasta is awesome too! So if you did want to make this with lasagna sheets as opposed to aubergine be my guest. Either way, I hope you enjoy this recipe! I used my Lentil Ragu Recipe as the base for this.
Recipe (Serves 5)
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
- 1 garlic cloves finely minced
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
- 1 400g tin of pre-cooked green lentils (I use Tesco brand), drained and rinsed
- 100ml water (or vegetable stock)
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 1 medium size carrot, stem removed and peeled
- 1 bell pepper, core removed and de-seeded
- 1 courgette, stem removed
- 1 aubergine
- 150g of grated red or white cheddar cheese
- A pinch of sea salt and black pepper
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 200C (non-fan oven). Line a baking tray with tinfoil greased with a little olive or rapeseed oil.
- Slice the stem off the aubergine and then slice it into thin round shapes, and then lay them out onto the baking tray. Drizzle a bit of olive/rapeseed oil on top. When the oven is ready, roast the aubergines in the oven for about 20-25 minutes – you’ll cook your lentil ragu below while they roast! Then remove from the oven when the aubergines are done and set aside
- Peel and then chop your garlic finely, and then the veggies (into bite size chunks), and set aside.
- Next, set a large pot on a medium heat, and add the olive oil.
- Cook the red onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes in the oil, until softened.
- Add your spices and herbs, and cook for another few minutes so the onions are coated.
- Add the rest of your veggies and cook for another 4-5 minutes.
- Time to add the liquids – pour in the chopped tomatoes, water/stock, tomato puree and balsamic vinegar, and stir everything up together.
- Finally, add the lentils and season with sea salt and black pepper, stir and bring to the boil.
- Turn down the heat to the lowest setting, and cover.
- Cook on a low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Then turn off the heat, and take a square baking dish. Scoop out about half of the lentil ragu into the dish, and spread it out evenly. Layer half of the aubergine rounds on top, then add the second half of the ragu. Layer the rest of the aubergine rounds on top.
- Finally, sprinkle the cheese on top! Place the lasagna in the oven for a further 20 minutes. Allow to stand for about 5-10 minutes before tucking in!
- You can freezer portions of this if you want to – ensure it is fully cooled before freezing, and ensure the portion is fully de-frosted before re-heating and consuming.
Enjoy guys! Tag me if you try this recipe out – @theirishbalance on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook.
Ciara 🙂 x
The Irish Balance 