Vegan Lasagne

Lasagne is known for being very meat and cheese heavy but we know it doesn't have to be! We've come up with a recipe that cuts out all animal products but doesn't compromise at all on taste! Try it for yourself!

Ingredients

100 g cashew nuts

1 butternut squash

6 tbsp olive oil

1 large brown onion

2 cloves garlic

2 medium carrots

2 sticks celery

3 sprigs rosemary

1 vegetable stock cube

800 g tinned chopped tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato purée

150 g dried green lentils

200 g dried lasagne sheets

Method

Place the cashews into a bowl and cover them twice over with cold water. Cover the bowl with Cling Film and leave them to soak overnight. Or, they can be soaked in just-boiled water for an hour.
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds, then place the halves, round side down on a baking tray and drizzle with 1 tbsp of the olive oil. Roast the squash for an hour, or until the flesh is completely tender.
Peel the onion, garlic, carrots and celery, then grate them using the Coarse Grating Disc of a the Food Processor attachment on a Chef XL Sense. Peel the leaves of the rosemary from the stems. Place a large saucepan over medium heat and add in 2 tbsp of olive oil. Sweat off the vegetables and rosemary with a pinch of salt until they are soft and fragrant. Crumble in the stock cube, add the chopped tomatoes and tomato purée, then throw in the lentils. Add enough water (approximately 400ml) to cover everything in the pan. Bring it up to a simmer and cook the sauce for 45 minutes, or until the lentils are soft. You may need to add water occasionally to prevent the bottom of the pan catching.
When the butternut is cooked remove it from the oven and leave it to cool enough to handle. Turn the oven heat down to 180°C. Drain the cashews, saving the water. Carefully scoop the butternut flesh into the Blender attachment of the Chef XL Sense and blitz along with the soaked cashews, most of the water they were soaking in and 2-3 tbsp olive oil until you get a smooth paste, then season with salt and pepper.
Layer the lentils, butternut purée and pasta in a baking dish. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the pasta is tender, the sauce is bubbling and the edges of the lasagne sheets poking out are crispy.
Allow the lasagne to rest for 10 minutes, then scoop out and serve. Serves 6.