'Green' Lasagne

'Green' Lasagne

Any kale with leek and celery

The key to this recipe is to use a mix of vegetables as a flavour base, in this case celery leek and onion come together to give a dept that kale alone does not poses. A combination of three vegetables in this way is prevalent across many culinary cultures.

This recipe is a great platform to experiment from. Winter leafy greens and brassicas are delicious, along with ingredients such as pesto, toasted nuts or even pulses. 

Serves 4
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
2 onions
Oil
1/3 head of celery
1 sprig of rosemary
Sea salt flakes and fresh ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves
1 leek
500g kale (a mixture of different types is fine)
60g butter
80g plain flour
700g milk
120g your favourite cheese
Fresh grated nutmeg
8 lasagne sheets

Preheat the oven to 180C

1.                Begin by cooking the pasta in plenty of boiling water. Once tender (follow guidelines of the packet) plunge into cold water.

2.               For the filling chop the onion and soften in a large pan over a moderate heat with a little oil. Strip the kale from its stem and chop, keeping to one side.

3.               Chop the celery from the top down, including the leaves, and add to the pan to soften for a few minutes. Season with a good three finger pinch of salt. 

4.               Strip the rosemary leaves from the stalk, chop and add to the pan. Chop and wash the leek and cook with everything else for a few minutes.

5.               Add the chopped kale and continue to cook until the leaves turn a deep green and look wilted. Remove from the heat and season with plenty of black pepper. Leave to cool slightly.

6.               For the white sauce melt the butter in a large saucepan, remove from the heat and add the flour, stirring to a lump free paste. Slowly add the milk making sure to beat any lumps out before adding more. 

7.               Once all the milk has been added, return to the heat and bring to a boil, stirring all the time. Removed from the heat and grate in the cheese. Season with nutmeg and salt to taste. 

8.               To assemble the lasagne, spread a small amount of sauce over the base of a roasting dish followed by a layer of pasta. Next a layer of kale filling, then pasta, sauce, pasta, kale and so on until everything is used up. Make sure to finish on a sauce layer. Top with a little extra cheese and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.

Serve with seasonal salad leaves.

Chef Notes:
1.                Unlike a meat lasagne, more layers are preferable when it comes to serving and eating. Use thin layers with slightly more pasta than with the conventional.
2.               With leafier varieties, make sure to evaporate any excess liquid out first