Lasagne with Lentils & Spinach Pesto

As you know, I’m naturally drawn to spices; Indian and Middle Eastern food makes my belly happy and my soul excited, so I fill my days with nothing but these delicious dishes!

But it also means that sometimes I can forget just how delicious Mediterranean food can be.

I particularly love how Italians cook, they are renowned for their quality cooking, their ultimate passion and communal rituals, and love they pour in every dish.

They also utilise home-grown produce that is just bursting with fresh farm-to-table flavour and authenticity.

My heart (and belly) is fond of a superb and rich tomato sauce, you know the kind, the ones that make you want to lick the plate clean and savour every bountiful flavoursome forkful.

Especially when paired with a drizzle or two of a high quality olive oil and fresh sourdough.

But it’s been absolutely years since I last ate or even made lasagne, so I just knew that had to change ASAP.

Like a lot of Italian dishes, lasagne evokes fond memories; my mum used to make the most delicious lasagne.

And as I recreated that layer by layer, it reminded me just how therapeutic and delicious the combination of soft but al dente pasta, melting and oozing ‘cheese’ sauces and seasonal veggies could be.

So I present to you my homage to the Italian classic, my Vegan version of Lasagne packed with lots of vegetables, red lentils, a creamy ‘cheese’ sauce.

To make it even more special I have layered it with the most deliciously fresh and zingy spinach and walnut pesto, that you are going to want to put on EVERYTHING!

I made this for my friends the other night after telling them all about my newest creation, and they loved it just as much as I did! Phew!

This dish takes a little of time to make each component right, from the delectable and rich tomato and lentil filling, to the oozy cheesy sauce, but each step is super simple and, oh so worth it.

You can even make this dish the night before, the flavours improve overnight as they soak into all the wonderful vegetables.

Cook all the distinct elements the night before and assemble and bake on the day, or bake the day before and re-heat. Both work just and each other.

Unlike most of my dishes, this one doesn’t freeze well. But portioned in the fridge and re-heated the next day works amazingly, especially when served with a light and fresh salad.

And another bonus about this recipe is there are so many variations and substitutions you can make depending on your likes, preferences, and ingredients.

If you cannot eat or find onions, you can use leeks.

Add in courgette, peppers or your favourite vegetables to bulk out the meatier sauce, and get your five a day in one hit.

You can swap the red lentils for green, black or your favourite pulse.

And, swap out fresh basil, for any other fresh green leafy herb, or use spinach instead.

And, of course, the mushrooms! This recipe works just as well with or without them, personally I love the texture they give, but omit or replace with aubergine for the same textural mouth-feel if you aren’t a fungi fan.

I’d recommend making extra of the spinach and walnut pesto to keep in the fridge. You can stir it into gnocchi, pasta or risotto, generously slather on top of freshly baked sourdough, or use as the base on a pizza bread. Or just eat it straight out of the jar. It can be our little secret!

Have fun and enjoy, love Niki xx