Kale, leek and mushroom lasagne with blue cheese topping
By:
Gill Meller
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Published: 28 Nov 19
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Updated: 18 Mar 24
In this recipe, vegetarian lasagne gets a crunchy-topped makeover with a gorgeously cheesy blue vinny topping. Simply delicious.
This knockout four cheese lasagne recipe is another strong contender for a winning vegetarian lasagne.
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Serves 6-8
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Hands on time 40 min, oven time 40 min
Ingredients
- 200g curly kale or cavolo nero, shredded, tough stalks removed
- 2 leeks, washed, trimmed and cut into 1cm rounds
- 2 small knobs of butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 400g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- Small bunch fresh thyme, leaves picked
- 175g fresh lasagne sheets
- 2-3 tbsp coarse fresh white breadcrumbs
For the white sauce
- 800ml whole milk
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 celery stick, sliced
- A few black peppercorns
- 75g unsalted butter
- 75g plain flour
- 75g dorset blue vinny cheese, crumbled (see tip)
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
You’ll also need…
- Deep 30cm x 24cm baking dish
Method
- Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. For the white sauce, heat the milk in a heavy-based pan with the bay leaves, sliced onion, celery and peppercorns. When the mixture reaches a simmer, remove the pan from the heat and leave to infuse.
- Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add the kale and the leeks. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the leeks are just tender. Drain well, then set aside.
- Heat a knob of butter and 1 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan over
a high heat. Add half the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Fry, stirring often, for 5-10 minutes, making sure the liquid released by the mushrooms has evaporated and they have a bit of colour. Stir in half the garlic and half the thyme, cook for a minute more, then transfer to a plate. Repeat for the remaining mushrooms, thyme and garlic.
- Heat the butter for the white sauce in a medium heavy-based pan. Scatter over the flour and, using a wooden spoon, work it into the butter. Cook gently, stirring, for 1 minute. Set a sieve over the pan and pour
in half the infused milk (discard the flavourings). Work this into the butter and flour mixture. As it thickens, pour in the remaining milk, then switch to a whisk and whisk the sauce until thick and smooth. Add half the blue cheese, the mustard and salt and pepper to taste.
- Mix a third of the white sauce into the kale and leeks, then taste and season with salt and pepper. Arrange one third of the kale and leeks over the base of the baking dish. Lay over a third of the pasta. Arrange another third of the greens over the pasta, followed by half the fried mushrooms. Pour over half
the remaining white sauce and a another third of the lasagne sheets.
- Spoon over the last of the greens, then top with the rest of the mushrooms. Put the remaining lasagne sheets on top, then pour over the rest of the white sauce and smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Combine the remaining cheese and the breadcrumbs, then scatter this over the top of the lasagne. Drizzle with a little olive oil, then bake for 40 minutes.
Recipe from November 2019 Issue
Nutrition
Nutrition: per serving
- Calories
- 368kcals
- Fat
- 20.4g (10.7g saturated)
- Protein
- 13.2g
- Carbohydrates
- 30.3g (9.1g sugars)
- Fibre
- 5.1g
- Salt
- 0.6g
delicious. tips
Dorset blue vinny is a strong blue cheese that’s suitable for vegetarians. If you can’t find it, use stilton or other strong blue cheese (make sure it’s vegetarian if need be).
Assemble up to a day ahead and keep covered in the fridge. Cook from chilled, adding another 5-10 minutes to heat through. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in a medium oven to serve.