Well I am back from camping and eating chips, battered fish and chocolate and so am craving fresh veg..! This lasagne is really, really lovely and packed with green veg and creamy feta cheese. The mint and lemon zest give it an unmistakably summery flavour (I am using lemon zest lots at the moment with pasta and green veg) and it is topped with asparagus, which is in season at the moment. If you want to save time and effort then buy shop-bought white sauce for the topping.
As this recipe is quite rich it should be eaten with a simple green or tomato salad. It makes about 8 portions so I normally freeze half of it for later. If any of the veg and feta sauce is left it goes equally well with other types of pasta e.g. penne, or a baked jacket or sweet potato. Allow about 45 mins preparation and 50 mins cooking time.
For my alternative tomato sauce based veggie lasagne recipe (15 years in the perfecting!) click here: https://katielovescooking.wordpress.com/2012/07/16/my-veggie-lasagne-50-mins-prep50-mins-cooking-and-the-versatility-of-soy-sauce/
Ingredients for feta and green veg summer lasagne
Oil
3 cloves crushed garlic
Half a 30g tin anvhovies, chopped
Load of asparagus, tips left intact and rest chopped
4 spring onions, chopped
Few handfuls peas
Few handfuls spinach
300ml single cream
Bunch of fresh mint, chopped
Grated zest of 1/2 a lemon
2 blocks of feta
Bit of veg stock if necessary (I used Veg oxo cubes in boiled water)
Lasagne sheets
For the white sauce (or just use shop-bought white sauce)
Knob butter
tbsp plain flour
Handful grated cheddar cheese/parmesan
Milk
Preheat the oven to gas mark 6/190 degrees.
Fry the garlic, anchovies, asparagus (leaving tips aside) and spring onions in oil for a few minutes then add the peas and spinach and continue frying for a few minutes. Add the cream, mint, lemon zest and feta and continue cooking/stirring for a few minutes. Add a little veg stock if you think it needs more liquid. Add salt (not much as feta is naturally salty) and pepper.
To make the white sauce for the topping, melt the butter in a saucepan on a low heat then add the flour until it is like a thick paste. Slowly and gradually add the milk until it has a creamy sauce like consistency. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Alternatively just use shop-bought white sauce.
Put half of the veg and feta mixture in a large oven proof dish, cover with lasagne sheets, then put in the second half of the mixture and the rest of the lasagne sheets. Top with the white sauce, a sprinkling of parmesan or grated cheddar and the asparagus tips. Cook the lasagne for approx 50 mins, until the topping is golden brown and a knife slides easily in.
katielovescooking 