Ingredients

• 2 yellow or red peppers
• seeds removed
• cut into roughly 2cm/¾in chunks
• 1 courgette
• about 300g/10½oz
• quartered lengthways and cut into roughly 2cm/¾in chunks
• 1 large sweet potato
• peeled and cut into roughly 2cm/¾in chunks
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion
• finely chopped
• ½ tsp dried chilli flakes
• 2 garlic cloves
• crushed
• 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning or dried oregano
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• 200ml/7fl oz cold water
• 100g/3½oz young spinach leaves (optional)
• 9 –10 dried lasagne sheets
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 75g/2½oz plain flour
• 75g/2½oz butter
• cubed
• 750ml/1¼ pint milk
• semi-skimmed or full-fat
• 125g/4½oz mature cheddar cheese
• coarsely grated
• 75g/2½oz ready-grated mozzarella cheese
• or extra cheddar

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Put the peppers
• courgette and sweet potato into a large baking tray. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the oil
• season with salt and pepper and toss together.
• Roast for 30 minutes
• or until softened and lightly browned.
• While the vegetables are roasting
• heat the remaining oil in a large saucepan and gently fry the onion for 5 minutes
• stirring regularly.
• Add the chilli and garlic and cook for a few seconds more. Stir in the tomatoes
• Italian seasoning (or dried oregano) and crumbled stock cube. Pour over the water and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 10 minutes
• stirring regularly. Set aside.
• For the cheese sauce
• put the flour
• butter and milk in a large saucepan and place over a medium heat. Whisk constantly with a large metal whisk until the sauce is thickened and smooth. (Use a silicone covered whisk if cooking in a non-stick pan.) Stir in roughly two-thirds of the cheeses and season to taste.
• Take the vegetables out of the oven and add to the pan with the tomato sauce. Stir in the spinach and cook together for 3 minutes. Season with salt and lots of ground black pepper.
• Spoon a third of the vegetable mixture over the base of a 2½ –3 litre/4½–5¼ pint ovenproof lasagne dish and cover with a single layer of lasagne. Top with another third of the vegetable mixture (don’t worry if it doesn’t cover evenly) and a second layer of lasagne.
• Pour over just under half of the cheese sauce and very gently top with the remaining vegetable mixture. Finish with a final layer of lasagne and the rest of the cheese sauce. Sprinkle the reserved cheese over the top.
• Bake for 35–40 minutes
• or until the pasta has softened and the topping is golden brown and bubbling. Stand for 5 minutes before cutting to allow the filling to settle.