Fresh lasagne with pesto

This veggie pasta dish is perfect for entertaining – it can be made ahead, leaving you free to chat to your guests

  • Ready in about 1¾ hours
  • Serves 6
  • More effort

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 711
  • fat 43g
  • saturates 25g
  • carbs 46g
  • sugars 0g
  • fibre 4g
  • protein 38g
  • salt 2.5g

Ingredients

  • 1.2l milk
  • 100g butter, cut into pieces
  • 100g plain flour
  • pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
  • 500g baby spinach leaves
  • 250g lasagne sheets – fresh is best
  • 3 rounded tbsp good quality pesto
  • 500g cherry tomatoes on the vine, two or three vines left whole
  • good handful of basil leaves (or one supermarket pack)
  • 175g piece fresh parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), coarsely grated
  • 2 x 150g balls mozzarella, preferably buffalo, torn into bite-sized pieces

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C. Put the milk, butter and flour in a medium pan and cook over a medium heat, whisking until thickened and smooth. Simmer for 1 minute. Take off the heat, season and add the nutmeg. Cool, stirring occasionally to stop a skin forming.

  2. Put the spinach in a large heatproof bowl, pour over a kettle of boiling water and leave for 30 seconds. Drain into a colander, cool under the cold tap then squeeze it well to remove the excess liquid.

  3. Spread a spoonful or two of the sauce on the bottom of a large ovenproof dish (about 30x20cm) and lay a third of the lasagne on top. Spoon over a third of the sauce and spread it out. Swirl a spoonful of pesto through the sauce with a knife and scatter over half the spinach with a third of the tomatoes, a few basil leaves and a third of the cheeses. Season with salt and pepper. Layer another third of the lasagne with a third of the sauce, a spoonful of pesto, the rest of the spinach, a third of the tomatoes and cheeses and some basil. Season.

  4. Finish with a layer of lasagne, the last of the sauce, pesto, cheeses and the tomatoes, including those on the vine. Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden. Scatter with the last of the basil leaves and serve.

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