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vegetable lasagna pots
A lighter version of the traditional lasagna with layers of tangy tomato sauce, creamy bechamel, pasta and vibrant vegetables. Made in individual ramekins, say goodbye to those portioning woes and enjoy a comforting lasagna pot whenever you'd like :)
3 hours Makes 6 portions
A little note before we start — If you're planning to use fresh pasta sheets in this recipe, just like I did, find my recipe for it here and prepare one portion of the pasta dough before the steps mentioned below. Store-bought pasta folks, less work for you, skip right ahead and begin! :)
Ingredients
For the Tomato Sauce:
3 large tomatoes
1 fresh red chilli pepper
4 tbsp onion, diced
3 tbsp celery, diced
2 tbsp carrot, diced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp olive oil
1 cup water
Salt to taste
Black pepper, freshly ground
Dried oregano
1 small bay leaf
1 tsp sugar
A handful of basil leaves
For the Béchamel sauce:
1½ cups milk
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 small bay leaf
A pinch of grated nutmeg
Salt to taste
Black pepper, freshly ground
1/4 cup processed cheese, grated
To assemble:
Pasta sheets
1 large zucchini
1 red bell pepper
1 cup cheese, grated
1 cup basil leaves
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Make the tomato sauce:
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Char the tomatoes, red chilli pepper (for the sauce) and red bell pepper (for lasagna layers) over direct flames. Once the skins have blackened, transfer them to a bowl, cover and set aside to steam.
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Meanwhile, prep vegetables for the mirepoix (onion, celery, carrot, garlic).
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Skin the chargrilled vegetables from step 1. Roughly chop up the tomatoes. Deseed and finely chop the red chilli pepper. Deseed the red bell pepper, chop into chunks and set aside for layering.
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Set a saucepan over medium-low heat and saute the diced onion, celery and carrot in olive oil until they soften.
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Add minced garlic, chopped red chilli pepper (from step 3) and saute until fragrant.
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Add in the tomatoes (from step 3), a cup of water and mix.
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Turn up the heat to high and bring the sauce to a boil. Add in all of the herbs and seasonings.
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Simmer on medium-low heat for 30-40 minutes until most of the water has evaporated and you are left with a thick and flavourful sauce. Set aside until needed.
Notes:
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I prefer to use a wire rack over my stove top burner to chargrill the vegetables. This extra step adds a layer of beautiful smoky flavour and also helps to easily deskin the tomatoes and peppers. If you prefer, you can easily skip this step and simply chop up the vegetables raw and add them as specified in the recipe.
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I like my pasta sauces a little chunky so I prefer not to process them, instead, I use a potato masher to roughly mash up any big chunks of tomato after step #8.
Make the bechamel sauce:
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Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and saute for a couple of minutes.
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Add flour and mix using a whisk. Cook out the flour for a couple of minutes. This paste is known as a 'roux'
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Begin to add in milk, a little at a time, whisking the sauce to a smooth consistency before each addition.
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Once you've added all the milk, add the bay leaf, grated nutmeg and season with salt and pepper.
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Keep stirring until the sauce comes to a boil and thickens in consistency so as to the coat the back of a spoon.
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Turn off the heat and whisk in the cheese until it has melted. Cover and set aside until needed.
Prep vegetables and assemble lasagna pots:
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Heat up a grill pan over high heat.
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Slice zucchini into ½cm rounds and toss with a little vegetable oil to coat all slices.
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Place the slices on the heated grill pan in a single layer, season with salt and pepper, and cook on each side for about a minute each or until char marks appear. Remove and set aside.
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Prepare your pasta sheets next. If using fresh pasta, roll out sheets of pasta and cut them into the shape of your ramekins. (3 layers per ramekin.) If using store-bought lasagna sheets, simply break them into manageable pieces.
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Preheat your oven at this stage and begin to prepare the lasagna pots.
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Grease ramekins lightly with butter. Spread a thin layer of the bechamel sauce first. Then begin to layer— pasta sheet, tomato sauce, zucchini slices, red bell pepper chunks (from step #3 of tomato sauce), fresh basil leaves, and finally, bechamel. Repeat once more and finish with a layer of pasta. Top this with a final layer of bechamel and lastly, grated cheese.
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Set the ramekins in a tray and bake at 190°C for 20-25 minutes or until the tops are gloriously bubbling and golden brown.
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Once out of the oven, let the lasagna pots rest for 10-15 minutes (trust me you don't want to burn off the roof of your mouth and taste buds and not taste this deliciousness) and then enjoy to your heart's content! :')
Note:
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These lasagna pots make for perfect prep-ahead meals. You can make a whole batch of these, wrap each ramekin with cling film and store them in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Just put them in the oven when you'd like to eat and supper is sorted!
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As for the vegetables, bell peppers and zucchini were just what I had at hand. You can use mushrooms, spinach, squash, carrots, eggplant and lots more! Just par cook them before layering and you're good to go.
