Vegetable Lasagna with Cheese Crust

Ingredients

• 800 g eggplant
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 250 g whole-grain lasagna sheets
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 2 onions
• 0.5 Carrot
• 60 g celery root
• 0.5 parsley root
• 400 g diced tomatoes
• 2 tbsp Red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 0.5 tsp thyme
• 1 pinch cinnamon
• 1 pinch clove powder
• 0.5 tsp ground coriander
• Salt
• Pepper
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 40 g Butter
• 50 g spelt whole-grain flour
• 700 ml milk (3.5% fat)
• 300 ml Vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
• nutmeg
• 120 g grated Parmesan

Instructions

1. 1.

   Slice the eggplant into 0.5 cm thick rounds, brush with 3 tbsp olive oil, arrange side by side on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 220 °C (fan: 200 °C; gas: level 3–4) for about 15–20 minutes. Cook the lasagna sheets according to package instructions, then drain, rinse with cold water and let them dry. Lay them side by side so they do not stick together.

2. 2.

   For the vegetable sauce, peel and finely dice the garlic. Cut the onions, carrot, celery root and parsley root into about 3 mm cubes. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pot. Sauté the onions and garlic until translucent, then add the carrots, celery and parsley root while stirring. Add the tomatoes, red wine vinegar, oregano, thyme, cinnamon, cloves, coriander and salt, cover and cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Stir in the tomato paste and simmer uncovered until a thick sauce forms. Season with pepper and taste.

3. 3.

   For the béchamel sauce, melt the butter in a pot, whisk in the flour and sauté while stirring. Gradually add the vegetable broth and milk, whisking continuously until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from the stove and cover for 10 minutes to thicken. Stir in lemon juice, salt, pepper and nutmeg, and taste.

4. 4.

   Layer the ingredients in a greased baking dish in the following order: one third of the vegetable sauce, one third of the lasagna sheets, half of the eggplant slices, one third of the Parmesan, and one quarter of the béchamel. Repeat the process and finish with the remaining vegetable sauce and the last third of lasagna sheets. Spread any leftover béchamel on top and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C (fan: 160 °C; gas: level 2–3) for about 35 minutes.