A cosy Italian lasagna with a twist! Layers of homemade wholemeal pasta, rich beef-and-lentil ragu and a creamy butternut squash sauce come together for the ultimate autumn comfort food

Ingredients

Ragu

500 g lean minced beef
150 g cooked green or brown lentils
1 onion, chopped
1 large carrot, grated or finely chopped
1 celery stick, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
300 g tomato passata
1 tbsp tomato paste
½ cup red wine or reduced salt vegetable stock
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried sage

Pumpkin layer

300 g butternut squash, peeled and cubed
100 ml milk of choice
1 tbsp Parmesan
Pinch of nutmeg

To assemble

6–8 wholemeal lasagna sheets (or gluten free alternative)

‍

Needed kitchenware

Instructions

Preheat oven to 190c (170c fan). Heat the oil in a large pan. Cook the onion, carrot and celery for 5 minutes.

Add the beef and cook for 5–7 minutes, breaking it up as it browns.

Stir in the tomato paste, then add the wine or stock, passata, lentils, balsamic vinegar, honey and herbs. Season with salt and pepper.

Simmer gently for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Boil the squash for 10–12 minutes until soft. Drain, then blend with the almond milk, Parmesan, nutmeg and pepper until smooth.Boil the squash for 10–12 minutes until soft. Drain, then blend with the almond milk, Parmesan, nutmeg and pepper until smooth.

Spread a little ragu in the bottom of a baking dish. Add lasagna sheets, ragu and pumpkin sauce. Repeat until everything is used, finishing with pumpkin sauce.

Bake for 25–30 minutes, until bubbling and golden on top.

Rest for 5–10 minutes before slicing.

10.

11.

12.

Storage information

Keep leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. To freeze, cool completely, portion into airtight containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat until piping hot.

Tip

Lower carb: Replace the lasagna sheets with thin slices of courgette or aubergine. Lower fat: Use extra-lean beef and skip the Parmesan.

Cost-saving tips

Heading 1

Heading 2

Heading 3

Heading 4

Heading 5

Heading 6

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.

Block quote

Ordered list

Item 1
Item 2
Item 3

Unordered list

Item A
Item B
Item C

Text link

Bold text

Emphasis

^Superscript

_Subscript

Halal Friendly

Balanced

Gluten-free friendly

Moderate

Batch-cook friendly

Family-friendly

Freezer-friendly

Abbi

Head Chef