Plants Only Kitchen by Gaz Oakley

SERVES 6

COOKS IN 90 MINS

DIFFICULTY 5/10

PROTEIN, can be GF

for the béchamel sauce

900ml (4 cups) soy or oat milk
1 onion
1 bay leaf
pinch nutmeg
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp white pepper
115g (½ cup) vegan margarine
70g (½ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour or gluten-free flour
100g (1 cup) grated vegan cheese and/or 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)

for the ragu

2 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, finely sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 celery sticks, finely sliced
3 tbsp tomato purée
1 courgette (zucchini), diced
1 aubergine (eggplant), diced
1 tbsp mixed herbs
650g (4 cups) vegan mince
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 x 400-g (14-oz) cans chopped tomatoes
pinch sea salt

1 pack lasagne sheets

fresh basil, to serve

First up, infuse the milk for the béchamel. Add the soy or oat milk to a  medium saucepan, followed by the onion, bay, nutmeg and seasonings.  Place the saucepan over a low heat and cook, stirring every now and then, allowing hthe flavours to infuse for 15 minutes.

To make the ragu, place a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the oil, followed by the onion, garlic, celery, tomato purée and a pinch of salt. Sweat the mix down for around 3–4 minutes.

Add the courgette (zucchini), aubergine (eggplant) and mixed herbs. Turn the heat down to low, pop a lid on the pan and cook for 3–4 minutes. Add the vegan mince and stir well. Cook for a further 2–3 minutes.

Deglaze the pan with the balsamic vinegar and chopped tomatoes, then pop the lid back on and cook over a low heat for 10–15 minutes.

To make the béchamel, add the vegan margarine to a large saucepan and place over a low heat. When the margarine is melted, add the flour. Mix well, using a spatula. Stir the mixture for a couple of minutes to cook out the flour.

Gradually whisk in the infused milk, a little at a time. Once you’ve added all the milk, the béchamel should be creamy. If you want to make it cheesy, whisk in the vegan cheese and/or nutritional yeast.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).

Build your lasagne in an ovenproof baking dish, a layer at a time. I like to do a layer of ragu, then béchamel, then pasta sheets. Repeat until you have filled your dish, ending with a layer of béchamel.

Bake the lasagne for 45 minutes. Serve with a few fresh basil leaves.

N.B. This works just as well using the same weight of chopped mushrooms or lentils in place of the vegan mince.