Vegetable lasagne

Ingredients (serves 6):

• 500g eggplant, cut lengthways into 5mm-thick slices
• Olive oil spray
• 300g cup mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 100g baby spinach leaves
• 125g (½ cup) light sour cream
• 1 x 700g btl passata (tomato pasta sauce)
• 6 fresh lasagne sheets
• 250g chargrilled capsicum (bell pepper), sliced length ways into 5cm-wide strips
• 500g low-fat ricotta, crumbled
• ½ cup chopped fresh basil
• 80g (1/3 cup) sun-dried tomato pesto
• 100g (1 cup) coarsely grated light mozzarella

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Spray the eggplant with oil. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Cook one-third of the eggplant for 1-2 minutes each side or until tender and golden.
3. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Repeat, in 2 more batches, with remaining eggplant.
4. Spray the pan with oil. Cook the mushroom and garlic over medium-high heat for 3 minutes or until soft.
5. Add the spinach and cook for 2 minutes or until wilted.
6. Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Spray a 3L (12-cup) capacity baking dish with oil. Spread 125ml (1/2 cup) of the passata over the base. Top with 2 lasagne sheets, overlapping slightly.
8. Top with half the mushroom mixture, half the eggplant, half the capsicum, half the ricotta and half the basil.
9. Top with 2 more lasagne sheets and 160ml (2/3 cup) of the remaining passata. Continue layering with the remaining eggplant, capsicum, ricotta, basil and lasagne sheets.
10. Spread pesto over the top and pour over the remaining passata.
11. Sprinkle with the mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
12. Uncover and bake for a further 15-20 minutes or until golden and cooked through. (To freeze, see note.) 

Notes:

It’s up to you – freeze the whole lasagna or slice it up and freeze individual portions that you can take out for an easy dinner or lunch.

To freeze: 

1. Bake in a freezerproof dish. At the end of step 4, set aside for 1 hour to cool.
2. Place in the fridge to chill. Cover with 2 layers of plastic wrap and 1 layer of foil.
3. Alternatively, cut the chilled lasagna into portions. Wrap each in 2 layers of plastic wrap and place in sealable plastic bags.
4. Freeze for up to 3 months. 

To thaw: 

Thaw whole lasagna or portions in the fridge overnight. 

To reheat: 

1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. Remove the plastic wrap and cover with a single layer of foil.
3. If cooking portions, place on a baking tray lined with baking paper and cover with foil.
4. Cook for 30-40 minutes or until heated through.