I will express gratitude for being able to get back to this page after the better part of a year, as a way to find something that I understand, that I am familiar with, that I can hold on to, at unpredictable and unprecedented times like this (except for Contagion – they definitely called it back in 2011). At the end of 2019, I was determined to do a great many things for my mental and physical (hello SOHFIT!) health this year, as well devote time to Joie De Vivre, and my stationery line. Gratefully, I got through about 75% of the first SOHFIT challenge of the year, ending abruptly due to a family emergency. But that 30 odd days that I did stick to the challenge, taught me SO much about myself – not only my body physically but my mind as well.
Which is why even this lasagne, though off the challenge, I made using gluten free lasagne sheets, because I have started to understand the impact gluten has on my productivity, my digestion as well as my mindspace.
OK getting back to the lasagne, again this recipe is a little like the sweet potato dim sum where you can pretty much throw in all the extra bits of vegetables lying around without worry. This is because we all need to be sensitive to our peers, our planet and the health and well being of everyone around us, as this disease is affecting entire communities. So don’t get fussed if you don’t have the exact quantities or the vegetables mentioned, be creative and tweak it to whatever you have on hand! I understand that in this state of current affairs, a lot if you ALSO probably don’t have lasagne sheets simply lying around, because lets be honest, its not really a pantry staple, so if you can’t get your hands on some, left alone gluten free ones, there are some options:
- with all the extra time on hand, involve the family and make some lasagne sheets at home! It’s a lot less tricky than other types of smaller pastas, so it’s also a feel good activity to do. Remember, you need not boil these, as lasagne sheets cook in oven with the rest of the lasagne, so don’t be afraid of any messiness. Try this recipe, its entirely vegan and I loved the quality of the pasta.
- for an easy carb and gluten free version, use slices of zucchini or eggplant instead of pasta.
- in case you have rice paper at home, try using that for the layers. They are thinner, so I would make a slightly thicker sauce as there’s no pasta that needs to cook, and no one likes a gloopy lasagne.
- any other kind of pancakes, cut to shape, such as chickpea/buckwheat, or any other wraps / tortillas you have.
The sauce is overwhelmingly easy – par boil tomatoes, blitz and add in some basil and seasoning. Thats it! Layer with vegetables, paneer or ricotta, top with mozzarella or pizza cheese, and go crazy! Trust me, no matter what you do, this is pretty much a fool proof dish, and everyone’s going to love seeing a hot sizzling lasagne on the table! So get this into your #ConfinenementCooking agenda.
Ingredients:
- 5 tomatoes, boiled and pureed
- 8-10 leaves, fresh basil
- mixed herbs / chilli flakes to season the sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 4 1/2 cups chopped vegetables (1/2 cup celery, 1 cup carrot, 1 cup mushrooms, 1 cup zucchini, 1 cup broccoli)
- 1 bunch chopped spinach
- 200gm crumbled paneer or ricotta
- 6-8 no boil lasagne sheets
- 1/2-3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, to top, grated
Method:
- Make the sauce by adding in the basil, herbs, chilli flakes, salt and sugar. Mix, and taste. Adjust accordingly.
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, add the celery and sauté. Add the carrots, and sauté for 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and in no more than 1-2 minutes, add the other vegetables except the spinach. Once cooked, season and then add the spinach, cook until the spinach welts. Take off the heat, and add the paneer or ricotta, pepper and taste.
- Pick a baking dish that can ideally fit 2-3 sheets without overlapping or without any empty space. Since that’s pretty rare, snap one lasagne sheet into 3-4 smaller pieces to fill in the gaps, without overlap. Now let the fun begin!
- drop 5-6 tablespoons of the tomato sauce into the bottom of the baking dish, this is your first layer.
- layer 1 – tomato sauce
- layer 2 – lasagne sheet
- layer 3 – vegetable ricotta mix
- layer 4 – tomato sauce
- layer 5 – lasagne sheet
- layer 6 – vegetable ricotta mix
- layer 7 – tomato sauce
- layer 8 – lasagne sheet
- layer 9 – vegetable ricotta mix
- layer 10 – tomato sauce
- layer 11 – grated cheese
Bake at about 180 -200 for 20-25 minutes or according to pasta packet instructions. Enjoy with some buttery garlic bread. (I have a really easy and comforting recipe which I’ll post very soon!)
