The weather is not getting any better so what better excuse is there for the ultimate comfort food, lasagne? This recipe was motivated not only by the freezing weather, but the contents of my food cupboard. You wouldn’t usually have sweet potato in a lasagne, but it really works!

 

Ingredients

3 red peppers

2 sweet potatoes

200g spinach

300g lasagne sheets

125g ball mozzarella, sliced or grated mozzarella

1x tablespoon Olive oil for roasting vegetables

Tomato Sauce

1 tin chopped tomatoes

1 finely chopped onion

10 chopped black olives

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

Handful of chopped basil leaves

 

White Sauce

85g butter

85g plain flour

750ml milk

Directions

 

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan /gas 5. Deseed the peppers, cut into quarters length ways. Cut the sweet potato length ways, 0.5cm thick. Lightly grease 2 large baking trays, then place peppers and sweet potatoes on top. Toss with the olive oil, season well, then roast for 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce by gently browning the onions and garlic. (in olive. When the onions have softened, add the chopped olives and season to taste. Add the tin of tomatoes and let the sauce simmer for 15 minutes. Add the basil at the end.
• Make the white sauce by melting the butter in a saucepan, stir in the plain flour, then cook for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk and keep stirring until the milk boils. Allow to cool, but keep stirring and then the sauce should start to thicken.
• Reduce oven to 180C/ 160C fan /gas 4. Lightly oil an ovenproof serving dish (30 x 20cm). Arrange a layer of the vegetables on the bottom, then pour over a third of the tomato sauce. Top with a layer of lasagne, then drizzle over a third of the white sauce. Repeat until you have 3 layers of pasta.
• To finish, spoon remaining white sauce over the pasta, making sure the whole surface is covered.
• Scatter mozzarella over the top. Bake for 45 mins until bubbling and golden.