Roast Butternut Squash, Spinach and Mushroom Lasagne

A hearty dish that can also be prepared ahead. Make to the end of step 8, then leave to cool completely before freezing. Cook for 35-40 minutes from frozen, until piping hot.

• Vegetarian

Preparation time :	20 minutes
Cooking time :	1 hour
Total time :	1 hour 20 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients

500g butternut squash
1 tbsp olive oil
½ x 15g pack fresh sage, roughly chopped
25g butter
250g pack portabellini mushrooms, finely chopped
250g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
235g bag Waitrose Spinach for Cooking
½ x 300g pack Waitrose Fresh Lasagne
75g Castelli Vegetarian Italian Hard Cheese, grated
25g Cooks’ Ingredients Toasted Pine Nuts (optional)

For the béchamel sauce
25g flour
3 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
25g butter
½ small onion
300ml milk

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Peel and deseed the squash, then cut into thin discs or half-moon slices, about 5mm thick. Place on a baking tray, coat with the oil and sprinkle with sage. Bake for 25 minutes until soft.
2. Meanwhile, start the béchamel sauce. Pour the milk into a pan and add the onion and sage. Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat and set aside for 10 minutes to infuse.
3. Melt 25g butter in a large frying pan and add the mushrooms. Season well and fry for 6-8 minutes until soft. Increase the heat, stir in the garlic and fry for a further half a minute. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Strain the infused milk, discarding the onion and sage. Heat 25g butter in a small pan, then add the flour, stirring continuously. Slowly whisk in the milk. Simmer for 3-4 minutes, whisking continuously until smooth. Season and pour in any cooking liquor from the mushrooms. Set aside.
5. Rinse the spinach and place the wet leaves in a large pan. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes until wilted, then remove from the pan, draining off any liquid.
6. To assemble the lasagne, spread 2 tablespoons of béchamel sauce in the base of a small baking dish, about 15cm x 22cm. Place a sheet of lasagne on top.
7. Top with 2 tablespoons of béchamel, then spread with half the mushrooms and sprinkle with a quarter of the cheese. 8 Repeat with a sheet of lasagne, 2 tablespoons béchamel, all the spinach, the remaining mushrooms and a quarter of the cheese. Then repeat with a sheet of lasagne, 2 tablespoons béchamel, three-quarters of the squash and a quarter of the cheese. Finish with a final sheet of lasagne, and top with the last of the squash, the remaining béchamel and the remaining cheese.
8. Loosely cover the top with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden, removing the foil halfway through. Sprinkle with pine nuts and serve immediately with a roquette salad.