So yesterday for dinner we tried this new recipe.
I only thought about writing this after we had eaten it so no photo. But I expect everyone knows what a lasagne looks like anyway!
The recipe is actually Roast Pumpkin and Spinach Lasagne but as usual I altered it!
The introduction says this is a bit of a faff to make but easier if separate parts are done on different days. I roasted extra squash the day before and I had made a big batch of tomato sauce several days earlier and put in the freezer.
This is the recipe as written.
Roast Pumpkin & Spinach Lasagne Serves 6
750g Crown Prince Pumpkin or butternut squash, de-seeded and peeled and sliced
2tbsp olive oil
500g spinach - washed
1tbsp butter - plus extra for greasing
nutmeg
fresh lasagne sheets
100g Parmesan
Tomato Sauce
I medium onion finely chopped
1tbsp olive oil
1 celery stick finely chopped
400g can cherry tomatoes
2tsp light muscovado sugar
Bechamel Sauce
500ml full fat milk
Black pepper
half onion
1 bay leaf (remove before using sauce)
50g plain flour
50g butter
Roast the pumpkin with the olive oil until tender approx 40minutes
Make the tomato sauce by softening the onion and celery, adding tomatoes and sugar and leaving to simmer for 30 minutes to make a thick puree, season to taste
Put the spinach in the saucepan with the water that still clings to it after washing, cover and cook over medium heat for a few minutes until wilted, turning with tongs frequently. Leave to cool and squeeze out excess water. Chop and put in pan with butter, gently heat until spinach is coated. Season inc nutmeg.
Make the bechamel sauce as usual.
Assemble the lasagne as normal in layers starting with pumpkin,then tomato sauce, lasagne, bechamel, spinach, cheese, lasagne,pumpkin,tomato sauce,lasagne and bechamel and all the rest of the cheese.
Bake for 40 minutes until bubbling and golden 180C fan/gas6
MY WAY
I used our own butternut squash,
I used a colander full of chard from the garden.
My tomato sauce was made using my big plum tomatoes from the freezer, no celery.
I never use full fat milk.
I forgot about the nutmeg with the spinach.
I always use value packets of dry lasagne.
I made 1 lasagne for 4 and a small one for 2 people
I used Cheddar instead of Parmesan
I'm sure I didn't do the layers exactly as written.
After cooking I wrapped them in foil, popped them in a plastic bag and put them both in the freezer as I wanted to make sure that they froze well.
I defrosted the two portion lasagne in the fridge over night. Reheated starting on a low heat and then increasing it for about 35 - 40 minutes in total.
Result - Very Tasty
So now I know one of the things we will be eating when they come to stay in a couple of weeks time.
Number 20 of the 30 Ways to Save £1, was
20. Cut the bottom off tubes of toothpaste and other creams etc. when you think they are empty and you will find enough for a few more days.
Everybody reading yesterdays tip said they already do this, so I'm preaching to the converted again.
Seeds arrived in the post today.
Awful weather here on the edge today. Freezing first thing and icy drizzle at 7.30 when I let the chickens out, then really heavy rain later. Him Outside should have been repairing a fence for someone this morning, but decided to cancel until next week after he watched the forecast last night. Good thing he did.
Back Tomorrow.
