WORLD'S BEST PESTO LASAGNE

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 12:59:40 GMT

Step 1

Preheat oven to 180°C / 3 baking trays | Large saucepan on a medium heat | Small saucepan on a high heat Medium saucepan on a medium heat | Liquidiser | 30 x 20cm lasagne dish

Step 2

Trim the aubergines and courgettes and cut them diagonally into slices about 1cm thick

Step 3

Cut the peppers in half and cut out the stems and seeds, then cut them in half again

Step 4

Divide the chopped vegetables between two of the baking trays, drizzle with the oil and sprinkle over a good pinch of salt and pepper

Step 5

Put the trays in the hot oven and roast for 20 minutes, then remove and set aside

Step 6

Next, make the tomato sauce

Step 7

Pour the oil into the large saucepan

Step 8

Peel and finely chop the onion and add it to the pan

Step 9

Cook for 5-10 minutes, until soft

Step 10

Peel and crush the garlic cloves into the pan, cooking for a further 2 minutes

Step 11

Drain and roughly chop the olives and add them to the pan along with the capers, passata and a good pinch of salt and pepper

Step 12

Reduce the heat to medium-low and leave to simmer for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally

Step 13

Meanwhile, put the cashews in the small saucepan and bring to the boil

Step 14

Boil for 10 minutes

Step 15

To make the béchamel sauce, warm the plant-based milk in the microwave

Step 16

Put the dairy-free butter in the medium saucepan and stir with a wooden spoon until it melts, then turn the heat right down and gradually add the flour to the pan, stirring vigorously until you have a doughy paste

Step 17

Gradually pour in the warm plant-based milk, stirring all the time until you have a thick, creamy sauce

Step 18

Keep stirring until the sauce thickens to the consistency of custard

Step 19

Add the nutritional yeast and the onion powder

Step 20

Peel and crush the garlic clove and add it to the pan

Step 21

Squeeze the lemon juice into the pan, catching any pips with your other hand

Step 22

Drain the boiled cashews and rinse them with cold water to cool them down

Step 23

Put them in the liquidiser along with the water

Step 24

Whizz to a fine cream with no bits

Step 25

Pour the béchamel sauce into the liquidiser and whizz together

Step 26

Season with salt and pepper

Step 27

Pour into a bowl and set aside

Step 28

Clean out the liquidiser

Step 29

To make the pesto, spread the pine nuts over the clean baking tray, put it in the oven and toast for 3 minutes

Step 30

Put them in the liquidiser along with the basil and the nutritional yeast

Step 31

Peel the garlic cloves and add them to the liquidiser

Step 32

| Squeeze in the lemon juice, catching any pips with your other hand

Step 33

Pour in the olive oil

Step 34

| Blitz everything together until you've made a fine pesto

Step 35

| Taste and season with salt and pepper

Step 36

Cover the bottom and sides of the lasagne dish with a thin layer of tomato sauce

Step 37

Put a layer of lasagne sheets over the bottom, without overlapping them

Step 38

Use broken up bits of lasagne to cover any gaps or corners

Step 39

Spread a third of the remaining tomato sauce on to the lasagne sheets

Step 40

Place a third of the baked veggies on topSpread a third of the cashew béchamel on top, spreading it all the way to the edges of the dish

Step 41

Drizzle a third of the pesto sauce on top

Step 42

Repeat twice more, making layers of pasta, tomato sauce, veggies and cashew sauce and topping with a long, arty drizzle of pesto

Step 43

Cover the dish with foil, put it in the oven and bake for 45 minutes

Step 44

Remove the foil and bake for 10 more minutes

Step 45

Take it out of the oven and leave it to stand for 10 minutes before serving

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