Vegetarian Lasagna

Ingredients

1kg jap pumpkin, peeled, cut into 1cm-thick slices
1 1/2 Tbs olive oil
1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 medium red capsicum, chopped
2 medium zucchini, halved, sliced
200g button mushrooms, thickly sliced
400g can diced tomatoes
1 tsp mixed herbs
100g baby spinach
30g butter
2 Tbs plain flour
2 cups milk
250g grated mozzarella cheese
125g dried lasagna pasta sheets

Method

Preheat oven to 180 C/160 C fan-forced. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Arrange pumpkin, in a single layer, on tray. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons oil. Bake for 20 minutes or until tender. Set aside.

Heat remaining oil in a heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, capsicum, zucchini and mushroom. Cook, stirring, for 10 minutes or until vegetables are just tender. Stir in tomato and mixed herbs. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in spinach. Cover. Set aside for 2 minutes or until spinach has wilted. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Gradually add milk, stirring to prevent lumps forming. Return pan to heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until sauce thickens. Remove pan from heat. Stir in half the cheese. Set aside.


Lightly grease a 7cm-deep, 25cm (base) square baking dish. Spoon half the tomato mixture into dish. Arrange half the pumpkin over tomato mixture. Place half the lasagna sheets over pumpkin, breaking sheets to fit. Repeat layers. Spoon sauce over top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden and pasta tender. Stand for 10 minutes. Serve.