Courgette and spinach lasagne

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Vegetarian mains

Courgette and spinach lasagne

Main Serves 2 55 min
The thing that most frustrates people when making a lasagne is getting a perfect white sauce. The key tips are; cook the butter and flour (roux) for a few minutes before adding the milk. Add warm milk rather than cold. Add the milk bit by bit whisking as you go. Remove from the heat when bubbling. If it all goes wrong you can smooth it with a stick blender or pass it through a fine mess sieve, too.

Ingredients

  • 250g spinach, washed stalks removed
  • 350ml milk
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 25g butter
  • 25g flour
  • 50g Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1 nutmeg
  • 2 courgettes, coarsely grated
  • light olive oil
  • 200ml curd cheese or cream cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 250g lasagne sheets
  • salt and pepper

Method

Prep time: 15 min
Cooking time: 40 min

  • Step 1

    Cook the spinach until just wilted. Drain and leave to cool in a colander. Tip the milk into the saucepan and bring up to a gentle simmer. Add the garlic and bay leaf. In a second saucepan melt the butter and add the flour so that it forms a smooth but stiff paste, heat it gently for a few minutes to warm the flour.

  • Step 2

    Sieve the warmed milk into the pan, bit by bit, whisking after each addition. The milk should thicken into a smooth sauce. Whisk in the Parmesan cheese. Season with a little more salt, pepper and a light grating of nutmeg to your taste. Fry the courgettes gently for 8-10 minutes in a little oil.

  • Step 3

    Season with a little salt and pepper. Take the cooled spinach and squeeze out the excess water. Roughly chop it and mix it in a bowl with the curd cheese and a seasoning of salt and pepper.

  • Step 4

    Crack the egg into the white sauce and whisk it in thoroughly. Spread the cooked courgettes in the oven dish. Arrange a single layer of lasagne sheets on top. Cover with half the white sauce.

  • Step 5

    Top the sauce with the spinach mix. Add a final layer of lasagne sheets and top with the remaining sauce. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until it is golden brown.