Vegetarian Lasagne

Ingredients

• 800g butternut pumpkin, peeled, cut into 1cm-thick slices
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 medium red capsicum, chopped
• 2 medium zucchini, halved, sliced
• 1 medium eggplant, chopped
• 200g button mushrooms, thickly sliced
• 400g can diced tomatoes with oregano and basil
• 80g baby spinach
• 30g butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup grated Mozzarella Cheese
• dried lasagne pasta sheets

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place pumpkin in a single layer, on tray. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes or until tender. Set aside.
2. Heat remaining oil in a heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, capsicum, zucchini, eggplant and mushroom. Cook, stirring, for 10 minutes or until eggplant is just tender. Stir in tomato. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat or turn off heat. Stir in spinach. Cover. Set aside for 2 minutes or until spinach has wilted. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat until foaming. Add flour. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 1 minute or until bubbling. Remove from heat. Gradually add milk, stirring to prevent lumps forming. Return pan to heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until sauce boils and thickens. Remove pan from heat. Stir in half the cheese. Set aside.
4. Lightly grease a 7cm-deep, 25cm (base) square baking dish. Spoon half the vegetable mixture into dish. Arrange half the pumpkin over vegetable mixture. Place half the lasagne 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.