Gardeningchef Cooks a Lentil & Spinach Lasagna

Good afternoon/evening Steemers!

I am back again with a recipe for you all. As I mentioned in a previous post we recently got a new gas cooker, so naturally I have been cooking up a storm!

After seeing @gringalicious' mouthwatering Chipotle Beef & Bechamel Lasagna it inspired me to make my favourite one, which I haven't made in so long! If you haven't seen hers yet, here is the link:

https://steemit.com/food/@gringalicious/chipotle-beef-and-bechamel-lasagna-food-photo-shoot

Lasagna is one of my top comfort foods. As a vegetarian I have explored different fillings to see what works best, and lentils are hands down my favourite to use. They're hearty, nutty and delicious! Paired with spinach not only is this yummy, it's healthy too.

For this momentous occasion I went to my local home ware store and bought a whopping 5,0l glass dish. I've made a monster lasagna guys!

GARDENINGCHEF'S LENTIL & SPINACH LASAGNA

LENTIL & SPINACH FILLING - INGREDIENTS

200-300g of uncooked lentils (I used Spanish Pardina lentils)
500g of fresh spinach
1-3 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes (depending on the size of your dish)
A good handful of sundried tomatoes
5 cloves of garlic, +1 extra for spinach wilting
2 vine-ripened tomatoes
2 carrots
1 large onion
1-2 bay leaves
1 heaped tsp of tomato paste
1 heaped tsp of dried oregano
½ tsp of dried rosemary
Small handful of fresh basil leaves
A pinch of chili flakes
Olive oil

BECHAMEL SAUCE - INGREDIENTS

100g of plain flour, sifted
100g of unsalted butter
1l of whole milk
2 bay leaves
Handful of grated mozzarella
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Plenty of freshly cracked black pepper

... and 2 boxes of dry lasagna sheets!

To start creating the dish I prepared the lentils, simmering them in a large saucepan of water for 30 minutes with 2 bay leaves. Once cooked I drained them, removed the bay leaves and set them aside.
To make the tomato sauce I finely diced the onion and popped it in a saucepan on a low heat to sweat off and lightly caramelise. Whilst that was cooking I peeled and finely chopped the carrots and garlic. I added the carrots to the onion, let those cook a bit and once I was happy I added the garlic and cooked for a minute or two until aromatic. After this I added the spices and cooked until fragrant, then added the chopped sundried tomatoes and chopped vine-ripened tomatoes. Once they were sufficiently cooked I added the tomato paste, tinned tomatoes and the handful of basil leaves, plenty of salt and pepper and brought to the boil, simmering for 30 minutes until reduced. I like my sauce chunky so I left it as is and added the lentils once ready, but if you're not a fan you could always blend it up for a smoother sauce before adding the lentils. Whatever you prefer!

Lentils ready, it was time to wilt the spinach and make the bechamel. I cracked a clove of garlic under my knife, removed the skin and popped it in a large skillet with a dash of olive oil on a medium heat and lightly wilted the spinach in a few batches, making sure to squeeze out and remove all the liquid from the leaves once cooked.

For the bechamel I melted the butter in the pan on a medium heat. Once melted I added the flour and cooked on high for 30 seconds to cook the flour out and form a roux. To this I added the milk bit by bit, stirring constantly and slowly with a whisk. Once all the milk was combined I added bay leaves and pepper, still stirring constantly on a simmer for 5-10 minutes, adding the handful of mozzarella a couple of minutes before removing from the heat.

Finally... it was time to assemble!

Starting with a thin layer of lentil filling, I covered that (making sure not to leave any gaps!) with lasagna sheets. Added a thin layer of bechamel, sprinkled parmesan and then dotted some of the wilted spinach on top. I repeated these steps until I ran out of lentil filling, and made sure to cover the top bechamel layer with a generous helping of parmesan and mozzarella for that gorgeous golden baked crunchy top. I popped the lasagna into the top shelf of my preheated oven (gas mark 7/220c) and cooked for 20-25 minutes until I could see the top was perfectly golden.

My goodness it is SO good!! This huge dish has left me plenty of leftovers which will become even tastier over time. My partner who eats meat absolutely loves this version and says he doesn't miss meat in this at all. Bonus points all round!

As always if you end up trying this recipe out, please let me know and/or tag me so I can see :)

Hope everyone is enjoying what is left of the weekend!