Lentil, ricotta and spinach lasagne

Well here I am at home struck down by the dreaded shingles.  What to cook and what to eat becomes what is in the pantry or what is in the freezer. This is going to be a long haul, I fear. Did I mention that I hate shingles? But one thing I do like about it is that it means I am going through the pantry and freezer and sorting them out.  And I really liked the outcome of my latest foraging.  Thanks Leonie for suggesting I blog it.  Otherwise it might have stayed on a scrappy piece of paper for eternity.



So the outcome of my latest foraging?  A lasagne made by alternating layers of a lentil and tomato sauce with a mixture of ricotta and spinach. And it really is so yummy!  You will notice that this really is about staples in the pantry for me.  If you want to soak and cook your own lentils that is fine: I used canned. Likewise with the lasagne sheets!



Ingredients

For lentil sauce
400 gr canned lentils
400 gr canned chopped tomatoes
2 tbs tomato paste
1 onion
2 tbs olive oil
2 handfuls dried basil
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp ginger
2 small carrots
1/2 cup water

 

For spinach/ricotta sauce
375 gr ricotta
250 gr frozen spinach
2 spring onions
2 cloves garlic

Lasagne sheets (not needing precooking)
Grated or shaved Parmesan

Mode

Preheat the oven to 180c
Put the oil in a pan to heat
Finely chop the onion and add to oil
Crush garlic and ginger and add
Stir constantly until soft
Add tomatoes and tomato paste and stir
Drain lentils, rinse, add and stir
Crush dried basil and add
Chop carrots and add
Stir to combine and add water
Leave simmering on stove top
Meanwhile, place frozen spinach in microwaveable bowl
Chop spring onions and add
Crush garlic and add
Cover and microwave for 5 minutes
(Alternately cook in a steamer until tender)
Place ricotta in bowl and add spinach when cooked
Stir to combine
Assemble the lasagne in an oven-proof dish commencing with a thin layer of the lentil sauce
Add lasagne sheets
Then add a thin layer of the spinach and ricotta
Add lasagne sheets
Continue with this process until the baking dish is full
Make sure to end with a lentil sauce layer to ensure that the pasta cooks properly
Sprinkle with grated Parmesan
Bake in a 180c oven for 45 minutes