Wild garlic pesto lasagne
- Portion size: Serves 4-6
- Hands-on time 20 min, plus resting. Oven time 30 min
- Difficulty: easy
Make the most of seasonal wild garlic with this springtime wild garlic pesto lasagne.
- Quick pasta dish: As there’s no meaty ragù to make, this recipe is much faster to prepare than your standard lasagne – it can be on the table in an hour.
- Lighter vegetarian dinner: Wild garlic adds heaps of flavour and character to this meat-free pasta bake. You won’t miss the mince!
- Seasonal eating: The window for wild garlic is limited, so enjoy this taste of spring while you can.
Discover more recipes that make the most of fragrant wild garlic, including scones, pastas and soups.
Ingredients
- 50g pine nuts
- 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
- 50g parmesan or vegetarian equivalent, finely grated
- 50g wild garlic leaves, roughly chopped (see Tips)
- 50g basil, roughly chopped
- 150ml olive oil
- Finely grated zest and juice 1 lemon
- 900ml whole milk
- 1 bay leaf
- 60g plain flour
- 60g unsalted butter
- 125g ball mozzarella, coarsely grated or finely chopped
- ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- Dash cider vinegar or lemon juice
To assemble
- 6 fresh lasagne sheets
- 20g parmesan or vegetarian equivalent, finely grated
- 20g pine nuts
Method
- Begin by making the pesto. Toast the 50g pine nuts in a hot dry pan until golden, then add to a pestle and mortar or small food processor with the garlic. Grind to a paste, then add the 50g parmesan and grind again. Add the wild garlic and basil with a little of the oil and grind again. Finally stir in the rest of the oil and lemon zest, then season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Set aside.
- To make the béchamel, gently heat the milk in a pan with the bay leaf. Add the butter and flour to a separate pan over a medium heat and stir to create a paste (roux). Cook out the roux for a minute, then pour in the warm milk (discarding the bay leaf) a small amount at a time, whisking constantly, until smooth. Don’t rush the process as you want a perfectly smooth sauce. Once all the milk has been added, cook for a further 5 minutes over a low heat, then beat in the mozzarella until all melted and stringy. Taste and season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and the vinegar or lemon juice.
- Heat the oven to 170°C fan/gas 5 while you assemble the lasagne. Choose an ovenproof dish roughly the same size as 2 lasagne sheets. Cover the base with pasta, followed by pesto, then bechamel, seasoning each layer with salt and freshly ground black pepper as you go. Repeat the layers 2 more times or until everything is used up and there is a layer of bechamel on the top. Once layered, sprinkle the top with the 20g parmesan and pine nuts. Transfer to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden on top. Leave to sit for 10 minutes out of the oven before serving to firm up slightly.
FAQs
Wild garlic appears as early as late February (depending on the weather) but reaches its peak in early April when it may be flowering.
The leaves have a fresh garlicky taste that’s punchy when raw but mellows when cooked.
The leaves will keep fresh for a few days, but you can blanch them in boiling water for 15 seconds, then cool in cold running water. Drain and squeeze dry in a clean tea towel. Whizz or finely chop the leaves, then pack into ice cube trays. Freeze, transfer to a bag, then use from frozen. The wild garlic will keep in the freezer for up to 4 months before it starts to lose its colour and taste.
Switch it out for the same quantity of spinach, plus an extra garlic clove.
Nutrition
- 676kcals Calories
- 54g (18g saturated) Fat
- 19g Protein
- 27g (9g sugars) Carbs
- 1.7g Fibre
- 0.6g Salt
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Reviews
We used dry gluten free lasagna so pre-cooked it in boiling water for a few minutes. Will definitely make this again!
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