Easy vegetarian lasagne recipe
With its layers of pasta, rich sauce and bubbling cheese, lasagne is a near-perfect family meal – if you have the time to make it. This twist on the classic takes less than 30 minutes to put together and is brimming with vegetables and protein-packed lentils. Yet, thanks to the creamy, cheesy layers, it will undoubtedly appeal to all ages.
The dish features in nutritionist and mother-of-two Charlotte Stirling-Reed’s latest cookbook, How to feed your family: Your one-stop guide to creating healthy meals that everyone will enjoy, which showcases 70 simple, balanced recipes all ages will love, as well as offering practical advice for successfully navigating family meal times.
“I wanted to create a lasagne recipe that was super easy," Charlotte explains. "There is no pre-cooking of individual elements and no béchamel, which saves lots of time."
To add to the family-friendly appeal, this dish can be given to babies from the age of six months; you’ll just need to tailor the way you serve it according to their stage on the weaning journey (and whether you’re following a spoon-fed or baby-led approach).
Serve the lasagne with steamed greens or a simple salad and we think everyone will be very happy.
Things to note:
You will need a 20 x 30 cm (8 x 12 in) ovenproof dish.
The recipe serves 4 generously. Should you have leftovers, leave the lasagne to cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 2-3 days.
To speed up the preparation process, Charlotte recommends using a food processor to grate the vegetables.
You could use dried lasagne sheets for this recipe, although they may need to be pre-cooked, so do consult the instructions on the packet.
The recipe can easily be adapted for vegan diets, too – simply swap the cottage cheese and mozzarella with dairy-free alternatives.
For US ingredients and measurements, use the drop-down menu and select 'Cups'.
Ingredients
- 1 garlic clove, crushed or finely grated
- 2 carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
- 300 g sweet potatoes, coarsely grated
- 2 x 400 g tins chopped tomatoes
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 250 g pre-cooked Puy or green lentils
- 600 g cottage cheese
- 190 g mozzarella, grated
- 200 g fresh lasagne sheets
Details
- Cuisine: International
- Recipe Type: Vegetarian
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation Time: 20 mins
- Cooking Time: 40 mins
- Serves: 4
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/390°F/gas mark 6.
- Mix the garlic, grated carrots and sweet potato together in a large bowl, then tip in the tomatoes, dried oregano and lentils. Stir well and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, mix the cottage cheese and 150g (5oz) of the grated mozzarella, reserving the rest for later.
- Spread 1/3 of the tomato and lentil mix over the base of a 20 x 30 cm (8 x 12 in) ovenproof dish, then cover with a layer of lasagne sheets. Top with 4 tbsp (about 1/3) of the cheese mix, spreading it right to the sides. Add another 1/3 of the tomato and lentil mix, followed by a layer of lasagne sheets and another 1/3 of the cheese mix. Finish with a final layer of lasagne sheets, followed by the last of the cheese mix. Sprinkle the reserved mozzarella over the top.
- Bake in the pre-heated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until golden and bubbling. Serve with steamed greens or a simple salad.
Recipe adapted from How to feed your family: Your one-stop guide to creating healthy meals that everyone will enjoy by Charlotte Stirling-Reed. (Ebury Press) Photography by: Haarala Hamilton.
How to feed your family: Your one-stop guide to creating healthy meals that everyone will enjoy.
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