Vegetarian Lasagna with Tomatoes and Spinach

Ingredients

• 3 stalks basil
• 100 g semolina flour
• 230 g wheat flour type 1050 (+ extra for kneading)
• Salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 onion
• 1 Carrot
• 1 stalk Celery
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 400 g diced tomatoes (canned)
• a pinch of whole cane sugar
• Pepper
• 400 g spinach
• 2 tbsp butter (30 g)
• 400 ml milk (1.5% fat)
• nutmeg
• 100 g cheese (Montello)
• 2 tbsp sunflower seeds

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash basil, shake dry, pluck leaves from two stalks and finely chop. Mix semolina flour with 200 g of the wheat flour. Add 1 tsp salt, basil, and eggs; knead well. If needed, add a little water. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.

2. 2.

   For the tomato sauce, peel or clean onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Dice finely and sauté together in hot oil for 1–2 minutes. Add tomatoes and simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes until thickened, stirring occasionally. Season with salt, sugar, and pepper.

3. 3.

   Clean spinach, wash it, and blanch briefly in salted water. Shock in cold water, squeeze out excess moisture, and roughly chop.

4. 4.

   For the béchamel sauce, melt butter with remaining flour in a pot and let foam. While whisking, pour in milk and simmer for several minutes until thickened. Season with salt and nutmeg, then remove from heat.

5. 5.

   Divide dough into quarters and roll each on floured work surface to match the size of your baking dish. Boil in salted water for 2–3 minutes. Shock in cold water and drain on a kitchen towel.

6. 6.

   Grate cheese. Alternate layers of béchamel sauce, pasta sheets, spinach, cheese, and tomato sauce in the dish. Finish with béchamel and cheese on top, then sprinkle sunflower seeds. Bake in preheated oven at 200 °C (180 °C fan; gas: level 3) for about 30–35 minutes until golden brown.

7. 7.

   Serve the vegetarian lasagna garnished with remaining basil.