Vegetarian Lasagna with Roast Aubergine and Roasted Pepper Sauce

Serves 6

When aubergines are cheap and in season, I oven roast them as described below. We freeze the cooked aubergines flat in layers to be defrosted when needed in stews, vegetable curries and to make this excellent lasagne.

Recipe Category

Pasta, Vegetarian Main

Products in this recipe

Seasoned Sea Salt Seasoning, White Sauce Powder, Roast Pepper Pasta Sauce

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You will need

Pasta

4 – 5 large aubergines cut into 1½ cm thick slices
olive oil
Ina Paarman’s Seasoned Sea Salt Seasoning
1 packet lasagne sheets (we used 12 of the sheets for our dish)

Cheese sauce

4 T (60 ml) Ina Paarman’s White Sauce Powder
4 T (60 ml) cold water
2½ cups (625 ml) milk
2 T (30 ml) butter
½ cup (125 ml) grated cheddar cheese

Roast pepper sauce

1 x 400 ml Ina Paarman’s Roast Pepper Pasta Sauce

To assemble

250 g smooth cottage cheese
¼ cup (60 ml) grated Italian hard cheese or pecorino cheese
¼ cup (60 ml) fresh breadcrumbs
2 T (30 ml) melted butter or olive oil

Ina’s Tip

This dish will freeze very well. It can also be kept unfrozen in the fridge for up to two days before baking and serving.

Method

Adjust the oven shelf to the middle position.
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Line a large baking sheet with baking paper.
Drizzle and smear with olive oil.
Arrange aubergine slices on prepared baking sheet. Season the slices, very lightly, on one side only, with Seasoned Sea Salt and then drizzle generously with olive oil.
Bake for 25 minutes until nicely browned (no need to turn).
Soak the lasagne sheets for 2 – 3 minutes in warm tap water. This improves the tenderness of the pasta and reduces the baking time. Spread sheets out, in a single layer on baking paper.
Mix the White Sauce Powder with the cold water.
Bring the milk nearly to the boil, add the white sauce slurry. Stir until it has thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Add butter and ½ cup of grated cheese.

To assemble

Plan on using 4 layers of cheese sauce and pasta, and 3 layers of Roast Pepper Pasta Sauce, cottage cheese and roasted aubergines in the following order:
Use a 30 x 23 cm size ovenproof dish and oil it lightly. Spread a skimpy ¼ of the cheese sauce into the dish. Cover with pasta sheets. Spread 1⁄3 of Roast Pepper Sauce over pasta. Dot teaspoonfuls of cottage cheese here and there (use 1⁄3). Add a layer of roasted aubergine slices (use 1⁄3). Spread ¼ of the cheese sauce over.
Repeat layering and end with a pasta layer topped with cheese sauce. Mix the grated cheese with the breadcrumbs and melted butter or oil. Sprinkle over the top. Bake for ± 45 minutes. Serve with a tossed salad dressed with our Greek Dressing.