| Pumpkin and Goat's Cheese Lasagne |
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This recipe is an exception to the others as it takes considerably longer to prepare and cook, but the results are worth the extra time. The great combination of flavours and textures are perfect for the cooler days of autumn when pumpkins come into season.
For the Bechamel Sauce: 50g South Downs butter40g flour 600ml milk 1 bay leaf 60-120ml cream Black pepper Freshly grated nutmeg Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour. When it froths, stir in half the milk and beat well over the heat until it thickens. Add the rest of the milk and keep stirring vigorously, still over the heat, until the sauce is thick and smooth. Add the bay leaf then leave the sauce over a very low heat for 10 minutes. Pour a little extra sauce over the top of the sauce and leave it, to prevent a skin forming while you make the lasagne. For the Lasagne: 2 tbsp olive oil Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan and fry the onion gently for 5 minutes with a lid on the pan. Then add the pumpkin and garlic, and mix so that the pumpkin is coated with the butter and oil. Cover the pan and cook slowly for 15-20 minutes, until the pumpkin is tender. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange sheets of lasagne in the base of the dish, to cover it. On top of this put first a layer of béchamel sauce, then half the pumpkin. Top this with another layer of lasagne, then more béchamel sauce, a layer of half of the goat’s cheese and the rest of the pumpkin. Finish with a layer of lasagne followed by the remainder of the béchamel and the rest of the goat’s cheese. Bake the lasagne for 35-40 minutes, until the pasta is tender and the top golden brown. The above recipe has been adapted from Rose Elliot’s Vegetarian Pasta – a recipe book I use over and over again. It’s full of fresh ideas and truly inspiring. |