Eggplant Lasagna

Serves: 6-8 Prep: 20 mins Cook: 60 mins

Ingredients

Tomato sauce: – 500g beef mince (skip if vegan) – 1 onion – 3 cloves garlic – 1 red pepper (capsicum) – 1 carrot – 1 tbsp olive oil – 400g tin chopped tomatoes – 350g jar pasta sauce

Herbs: – 1 tsp garlic granules – 1 tsp onion granules – 2 tsp dried basil – 2 tsp dried oregano – ¼ tsp salt – ¼ tsp pepper

White Sauce: – 2 tbsp butter – 3 tbsp plain four – 3 cups milk – salt & pepper to taste

Lasagna: – 2 eggplant (aubergine) – pasta sheets – cheese (minimal to sprinkle on top)

Method

Tomato Sauce:

1. Turn oven on 200C.

2. Finely dice the veg (not including eggplant).

3. Add olive oil to large pan on medium heat, throw in onion and garlic on one half of the pan and add the mince to the other half of the pan. Cook for 7 minutes with lid off while occasionally stirring until the onions turn golden and the mince is no longer pink.

4. Add chopped veg (not including eggplant), cook for another 5 minutes with lid on, stirring occasionally.

5. Add tin of tomatoes, pasta sauce, and all herbs. Cook on low heat with lid on for further 10 minutes.

6. Take the lid off and finally cook for 2 minutes to burn off excess liquid, then you can turn heat off and your sauce is ready. Leave in pan and set aside.

White Sauce:

1. Melt the butter in a small pot, then add the flour and mix together to form a paste.

2. Immediately pour in 1/2 cup of milk and use a potato masher to mash the bottom of the sauce to ensure no lumps are formed. You can work in a stirring and then mashing sequence.

3. Once sauce begins to thicken gradually add the rest of the milk in increments, continuing the stirring/ mashing sequence. After sauce is to your desired thickness, turn off the stove and set sauce aside.

Lasagna Formation:

1. Slice the eggplant length ways to form ‘sheets’.

2. Grab a large tray and spoon a layer of the tomato sauce into the bottom of the tray, then drizzle some white sauce over the top. Next layer the pasta sheets, then the eggplant slices. Continue in this order until you have no ingredients left. Normally I’m able to make about 3 layers. On your top layer finish with a layer of eggplant slices, a drizzle of white sauce and a light layer of cheese.

3. Cover lasagna with a sheet of baking paper.

4. Pop in oven for 50 minutes or until you can easily poke a knife through lasagna sheets. Take the baking paper off the top of lasagna and cook for a further 10 minutes to crisp surface.

5. Once cooked can serve immediately with a handful of spinach on the side.

Note: If you aren’t using all servings at once, lasagna can be kept in fridge for 3 days, otherwise you could even put it containers in the freezer.