Vegetarian lasagne

Ingredients

• 600g butternut pumpkin, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 medium eggplants, sliced about 1cm thick
• olive oil spray
• 2 teaspoons salt
• Approx 800g tomato passata or tomato pasta sauce
• 500g instant lasagne sheets
• 500g ricotta
• 1 egg
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• Half a cup basil leaves
• Half a cup parsley leaves
• 2 cups mozzarella, grated

Method

Sprinkle eggplant slices with salt, leave for 20 minutes, then rinse and pat dry. Preheat oven to 180å¡C. Line three baking trays with baking paper; arrange pumpkin and eggplant slices on trays, spray with olive oil and bake for 20-25 minutes until tender.

Place ricotta, egg, peas and herbs in a food processor. Pulse to combine.

Spread 1 cup of tomato passata in the base of a large rectangular baking dish (mine is 5cm deep, 30cm x 33cm). Cover with a layer of pasta, breaking sheets to fit if necessary. Line with an eggplant layer, then spread with ricotta mixture.

Cover with another layer of pasta, 2 cups of tomato passata and a pumpkin layer. Repeat with a final layer of pasta, 2 cups of tomato passata and then sprinkle with mozzarella.

Cover dish with baking paper and then foil. Bake for 50 minutes, remove paper and foil and cook for a further 10 minutes until the top is golden brown. Stand for 5 minutes, then slice and serve with a green salad.

Notes:

• I roast the vegetables a day or two before, then the lasagne is quick to assemble.
• Make this easier (but more expensive) by buying roasted eggplant, capsicum, mushrooms or semi-dried tomatoes from the deli and skipping the roasting-veg stage.
• Gluten-free instant lasagne sheets are now readily available in supermarkets. I use the San Remo brand or Orgran rice and corn lasagne sheets.
• Recipe created by Melissa Hughes for Kidspot.