Lentil and mushroom lasagne
Drygast, 2021-10-09
Vegetarian lasagne with red lentils and mushrooms
- Servings4 Portions
- AllergensMilk, Wheat
- Cook Time100 min
Vegetarian lasagne with red lentils and mushrooms that may take some time to cook, but I think this is worth it. I choose to cheat by not making a classic bechamel sauce but instead just mix cheese, creme fraiche and milk. To make it even creamier, you can replace the milk with cream. In addition to being a little cheat that is quicker than making real béchamel sauce, it is also a gluten-free alternative. Now this lasagna contains regular lasagne plates so the dish is NOT gluten-free, but there are gluten-free pasta plates to buy and then you can just change them straight off. However, the gluten-free lasagne plates I used have all required a little more liquid as they absorb more than usual.
This dish can of course be altered a lot, but I think the lentil mixture is good as it is and I do not try to add too much extra flavor into it. The cooking is very similar to bolognese but with lentils and mushrooms instead of meat. There are some other differences as well and the end result is very good in my opinion. I experimented with ingredients for this recipe by starting a bolognese base, but replacing the meat with lentils. Even if it was OK, it was not enough. With a little extra umami from mushrooms, using passed tomatoes of good quality and by adding rosemary, I got exactly the flavor combination I was looking for. I have a hard time believing that anyone will be disappointed with this lasagna.
In the video, the lentils mixture gets a little too dry and I have adapted the recipe to avoid that in the future. Different varieties of lentils can absorb different amounts of liquid as well as variations in cooking can make the lasagna a little dry, so adjust by adding water if necessary.
To give the lasagna a little kick, I usually add a small amount of tabasco or cayenne pepper.
Some possible variations- Make gluten-free by replacing regular lasagna plates with gluten-free ones. If necessary, compensate with more water as some gluten-free pastas absorb a lot of liquid.
- Use fresh lasagne plates instead of dried ones. This shortens the cooking time a bit.
- You can prepare everything until the lasagna goes into the oven and set it in the fridge to only cook it at a later time.
- Use thin slices of zucchini instead of the pasta plates.
Ingredients
Nutrition Facts*
| Total | Serving | 100 g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 4563 kcal | 1140.75 kcal | 180 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 304.96 g | 76.24 g | 12.03 g |
| Fat | 282.4 g | 70.6 g | 11.14 g |
| Protein | 137.9 g | 34.48 g | 5.44 g |
| Sugar | 61.35 g | 15.34 g | 2.42 g |
| Salt | 16.22 g | 4.06 g | 0.64 g |
* The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using the ingredients available in the database. Info will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Directions
- Peel and finely chop the onion, celery and carrot. Fry in olive oil for a few minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and fry for a few minutes.
- Add sliced garlic and tomato puree. Fry for a minute or two.
- Add red wine, tomatoes, vegetable broth, lentils, thyme and oregano.
- Bring to a boil and then lower the heat.
- Let simmer for about 30 minutes. Stir at regular intervals and add water if needed.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Mix grated cheese, creme fraiche, milk and spices in a bowl. Pour over the lasagne plates.
- Layer the lentil mixture and lasagne plates in an ovenproof dish.
- I assume that there are 4 layers in this recipe.
- Pour fake béchamel sauce over the lasagne.
- Cook in oven, 175°C 45 minutes. Raise the temperature for the last 5-10 minutes if you want a little more color on the lasagne.
- Let cool for 10 minutes.