Creamy Courgette Lasagne Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the tomatoes on a baking tray with the garlic, oil, rosemary and a good pinch of seasoning. Bake for 25-30 mins until soft, then discard the rosemary and peel off the garlic skin. Put the tomatoes, garlic and sugar in a blender and blitz a few times until you have a chunky sauce.
• Meanwhile, put the leeks in a pan over a low heat, add the butter, season and cook for 7-10 mins or until soft. Add the spinach and courgettes, and cook, covered, for 2 mins until wilted and soft. Set aside.
• In a lasagne dish, layer up the ingredients using the tomato sauce first, then some pasta, followed by the ricotta and vegetables. Keep layering until you've used up everything. Finish with a final layer of the vegetables, the mozzarella and the Parmesan. Bake in the oven for 40-45 mins until the sauce has reduced and the top is golden brown.

Steps:

• Pour boiling water over the spinach in a sieve or colander to wilt it. Leave until cool enough to handle, then squeeze out any excess liquid. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat, add the garlic and soften for 1 min. Tip in the nutmeg and cook for 1 min more, then add the mascarpone, spinach, half the cream and half the parmesan. Season generously, stir well and set aside.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Spread a third of the filling over the base of a 20 x 30cm baking dish, cover with 3 lasagne sheets, then add a layer of courgettes. Repeat twice more. Pour the remaining cream over the final layer and sprinkle over the remaining parmesan. Bake for 40-45 mins or until the sauce is bubbling and the pasta has no resistance when you push a skewer through. Rest for 5 mins, then serve.

Steps:

• For the ragu, put the dried porcini mushrooms in a heatproof mug and cover with 125ml boiling water from the kettle. Set aside. Finely chop the chestnut mushrooms or blitz in a food processor to fine pieces.
• Heat the oil in a large saucepan or flameproof casserole over a high heat and fry the onions, carrots and chopped chestnut mushrooms with a pinch of salt for 15 mins until the water released by the mushrooms has evaporated, stirring now and then. The mushrooms should be a deep brown colour and the other veg should be soft and slightly coloured.
• Add the mixed mushrooms, garlic and most of the thyme, and cook for another 5 mins until the mushrooms have started to soften. Drain the rehydrated porcini, add the soaking liquid to the pan, then finely chop the porcini and add that too. Stir in the wine, passata, ketchup and paprika to combine. Simmer for 25 mins until the ragu has reduced and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season generously with sea salt flakes and a grinding of black pepper.
• Meanwhile, make the béchamel. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat, then add the bay and cook for a minute. Scatter in the flour and stir until you have a sticky paste. Add the milk in stages, whisking between each addition until you have a thick sauce. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 3-4 mins, stirring occasionally until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon. Remove the bay, then mix in the crème fraîche, a generous grating of nutmeg and seasoning.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Rub the olive oil over the base and sides of a large ceramic baking dish (ours was 35 x 20 x 6cm). Arrange a layer of lasagne sheets in the base (you may need to break them so they fit), then spoon over a layer of the mushroom ragu, drizzle with some of the béchamel, and scatter over a handful of the mozzarella. Repeat until you have used all the ragu and the final layer of lasagne sheets, then smooth over a thick layer of béchamel. Sprinkle over the remaining mozzarella and bake for 40-45 mins until the filling is bubbling and the top is golden. Leave to rest for 10 mins, then sprinkle with the remaining thyme leaves before serving.