An Italian dish that's unbelievably light and so simple to prepare, the home made pesto mixes wonderfully well with the ricotta cheese.
Ingredients
- 200g fresh basil leaves, plus extra to serve
- 200g toasted pine nuts, plus extra to serve
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped roughly
- 200ml fruity extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tbsp
- 100g vegetarian Parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to serve
- 250g tub ricotta, drained
- 1 tsp salt
- 24 fresh lasagne sheets
Method
- 1. Put the basil, pine nuts, garlic, a good pinch of salt and 200ml olive oil into a food processor and pulse to give a uniform and creamy consistency. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the Parmesan and ricotta.
- 2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4. Bring a large pan of water to the boil, then add the salt and extra oil. Boil the lasagne, 6 sheets at a time, for 2 minutes. Lift out each batch with a slotted spoon and set aside. Reserve a little pasta water.
- 3. Loosen the pesto with a little of the pasta cooking water. Spread a couple of tablespoons of pesto in the base of a deep 1-litre ovenproof dish. Arrange 4 lasagne sheets on top and spread with more pesto. Repeat 5 times, finishing with a layer of pesto. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cooked through and hot.
- 4. Meanwhile, preheat the grill to high. Sprinkle the lasagne with the extra Parmesan and grill for a few minutes, until golden. Cut into wedges and serve garnished with a scattering of toasted pine nuts, the extra basil leaves and a green salad.
Nutritional info
Per serving: 729kcals, 60.5g fat (11.8g saturated), 21.2g protein, 26.5g carbs, 2.9g sugar, 1.3g salt
Wine Recommendation
Switch to a dry, herbaceous white such as Vernaccia, or southern Italian Greco di Tufo.