Ingredients

• knob of butter
• for greasing and frying
• 200g/7oz Puy lentils
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• 1 tbsp garlic infused olive oil
• or olive oil
• for frying
• 1 onion
• chopped
• 1 garlic clove
• chopped
• 110g/4oz mushrooms
• finely diced
• 110g/4oz leek
• finely sliced
• 1 x 400g/14oz can chopped tomatoes
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6-9 sheets lasagne
• handful grated Parmesan (or vegetarian alternative)
• green salad
• to serve
• 110g/4oz butter
• 85g/3½ oz plain flour
• 850ml/1½ pints milk
• 6 tbsp double cream
• 110g/4oz grated cheddar
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/gas 4. Generously grease a baking dish with butter.
• For the lentil ragù
• cover the lentils with cold water and bring to the boil. Crumble in the vegetable stock cube and cook for 15-20 minutes
• or until the lentils are tender
• then drain. Add a little more water if the mixture looks dry.
• Heat the garlic infused olive oil and butter in a lidded frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion
• garlic
• mushrooms and leek and fry for about five minutes
• or until softened.
• Stir in the cooked lentils and simmer gently for five minutes
• then stir in the tomatoes. Cover with a lid and simmer on a low heat for 10-15 minutes. Season
• to taste
• with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Meanwhile
• for the cheese sauce
• melt the butter in a medium saucepan over a medium-high heat then mix in the flour and stir until bubbling. Gradually add the milk and cream
• whisking constantly
• until the mixture is smooth.
• Simmer gently
• stirring constantly
• until the sauce starts to thicken
• then stir in the cheese and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and remove from heat.
• To assemble the lasagne
• spread a quarter of the lentil ragù over the base of the greased baking dish
• cover this with a quarter of the cheese sauce
• then arrange a third of the lasagne sheets over the top. Repeat
• finishing with a layer of cheese sauce. Sprinkle over the parmesan cheese and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes
• or until bubbling and golden-brown.
• Serve with a green salad.