Vegetarian Lasagne

Here's a fun fact: I used to be a vegetarian. We're talking ten years before I made the switch to the dark side... And during those many years I often found myself irritated by the limited selection of tasty meat-free options, and the repetitiveness of restaurant menus. For instance, yes I like eggplant and pumpkin, but do I want it to feature in every meal? No. For me it was not so much an ethical choice not to eat meat, but rather that I just didn't like the texture, and hence if I wanted a lasagne I didn't necessarily feel like layer upon layer of roasted vegetables, I just wanted a basic pasta sauce minus the mince. Luckily for me I love home cooking, so I was able to create my own deliciously simple vege recipes, that my friends and I could all enjoy, and that I still get requests for to this day.

The best thing about my lasagne is that you can use pretty much any veges you have laying around, so don't stress if you don't have everything on the list. Not to mention that the cheese sauce is to die for!

You will need roughly a 23 x 29 x 7cm oven dish for this recipe, and approximately 9 instant lasagne sheets.

For the pasta sauce:

700g passata (tomato puree)
400g canned diced tomatoes
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 red capsicum, diced
1 large carrot, grated
1/2 head broccoli, finely chopped
3 spring onions, chopped
2 large handfuls baby spinach
2 tsp dried basil
tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried parsley
Sea salt & cracked black pepper
Olive oil

For the cheese sauce:
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp plain all-purpose flour
600ml milk
3/4 cup grated cheddar (tasty) cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Sea salt & fine white pepper

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees.
In a large saucepan heat a tablespoon of oil, and fry off the onions and garlic until tender. Add the rest of the vegetables, and saute for a few minutes until they begin to soften. Pour over the canned tomatoes, passata and herbs, then season well with salt and pepper and allow to simmer for 20 minutes to get the flavours going.

Once you red sauce is almost ready you can prepare the cheese sauce. Start by melting the butter over a low heat, then add the flour and mix well. Cook the flour for a minute or two, stirring all the way, then gradually add milk (about 100ml at a time) stirring constantly so there are no lumps. Once you have added all the milk stir in the two cheeses, and mix well until it has melted through and the sauce is nicely thickened. Season with a little salt, and lots of white pepper.

To assemble the lasagne, start by spreading a little pasta sauce in the bottom of the oven dish, then a layer of lasagna sheets, top with plenty of pasta sauce and a good dollop of cheese sauce. I like to combine the sauces a little in each layer, for extra cheesy flavour. Continue layering, finishing with sauce on top, then sprinkle with extra grated tasty cheese.

Bake for 1 hour, or until golden brown and bubbling. Serve with a fresh green salad, heaps of garlic bread and of course a good glass of red wine. Heaven!
Serves 6 - 8.

Spinach & Ricotta Stuffed Pasta Shells

As you may or may not know I was once a long term vegetarian, and even though my days of meat deprivation are since long gone, there are a few staple recipes that I still love more than any meat dish - this being one of them! Something about cheesy baked pasta dishes seems to delight even the most dedicated carnivore. Be certain to make an ample amount - I have never had anyone turn down a second helping!

300g conchiglioni (large pasta shells)
500g fresh ricotta
1 bunch silverbeet or spinach, rinsed & stalks removed
1 cup (packed) grated parmesan cheese
4 cloves garlic, crushed
700g tomato puree
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley
Olive oil
Sea salt & ground pepper

This is a relatively simple recipe, though you will need to dirty up a few pots and get everything going at once when you start... Firstly, preheat your oven to 180 degrees.

Next, bring a large pot of water to the boil, and cook the pasta shells until tender. Whilst your shells are bubbling away, place your rinsed spinach in a steamer or boiling water and cook until just softened and bright green.

In a mixing bowl, combine the fresh ricotta with 1/2 the parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Then, drain your cooked spinach, squeeze in a clean tea towel to remove any excess water (be careful not to burn yourself in the process!), chop finely and then add to the ricotta mix, stirring well to combine.

Grab a saucepan and heat some olive oil and fry off the garlic until fragrant. Pour in the tomato puree, and sprinkle in the dried herbs, along with salt and pepper to taste. Allow this to simmer for 5 minutes, then pour into a large baking dish.

Once your pasta shells are drained and cool enough to handle, simply fill each with a spoonful of the spinach and ricotta mix, and place in the baking dish with the tomato sauce. Repeat until you run out of ricotta, then sprinkle the whole lot with the remaining parmesan.

Bake the shells until the sauce is bubbling and the top is golden brown and crisp. Serve with a simple garden salad and of course, a loaf of garlic bread.

Serves 6.

Spaghetti Bolognaise

So much for the low carb dinners.... oh well, it was cold last night and i didn't want to have to leave the house, so spaghetti it was! And yes, i do realise that it is not spaghetti in my photo, but i much prefer spirals because they grip the sauce. Spiral bolognaise just doesn't have the same ring to it though...

Olive oil
500g lean beef mince
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tin (400g) diced tomatoes
700ml tomato puree
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp chilli flakes
Sea salt & cracked pepper
350g pasta (whichever type you prefer)
Percorino cheese to serve

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and saute the onions and garlic until tender. Add the mince, and using a wooden spoon break it up until it is lightly browned and there are no big lumps. Pour in the tinned tomatoes and tomato puree, mixing well.

Next add the herbs and season well with salt and pepper. Turn the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally for about 1/2 an hour.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta. When the sauce is ready, stir a big spoonful through the cooked pasta, then divide into serving bowls. Top with a good helping of extra sauce and some grated or shaved pecorino cheese. (You can swap the pecorino for parmesan or romano if you prefer it).

Serves 4.