Quorn, squash and spinach lasagne recipe

An oozy, cheesy vegetable lasagne, packed with nutritious, tasty veg.

There is such a decadence to this Quorn, squash and spinach lasagne. It’s so tasty, you won’t even notice it’s healthy, perfect if one person in the family is watching their weight but you don’t want to serve low calorie meals to everyone. Plus it's a vegetarian dish that even meat-lovers will enjoy. The Quorn adds a meaty texture, but keeps the calories lower than a traditional lasagne. Meanwhile the sweet, roasted squash bulks up the dish and makes it deliciously filling. Serve with some bright green steamed broccoli or French beans.

Ingredients

• 500g (1lb) butternut squash, chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 300g (10oz) Quorn mince
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato and chilli chutney
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 250g (8oz) frozen spinach
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• ½ litre (16fl oz) semi-skimmed milk
• 30g (1oz) butter
• 6 sheets lasagne
• 2 tbsp grated vegetarian hard cheese
• Few sprigs of marjoram, optional

You will need:

• 1.5 litre (2½ pint) baking dish

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Put the butternut squash into a roasting tin and pour over 1 tablespoon oil. Roast for 25 mins until tender.
2. Meanwhile, heat the rest of the oil in a large frying pan, add the onion and cook for a few mins, to soften. Stir in the garlic and Quorn mince, and cook for 2 mins.
3. Add the tomatoes and chilli chutney. Simmer for 5 mins, and season with salt and pepper.
4. Defrost the spinach according to packet instructions, strain to squeeze out excess liquid.
5. Put the cornflour into a measuring jug, gradually add some of the milk, to form a smooth paste, then pour in the remaining milk. Season and add the butter. Heat in a microwave on High for 2 mins, whisk and repeat until the sauce is thickened and smooth. Alternatively, make the sauce in a pan.
6. Layer up the mince, squash, spinach, sheets of lasagne and sauce in the baking dish, finishing with a layer of lasagne and sauce. Sprinkle the vegetarian hard cheese over the top and bake for 35 mins until the topping is golden. Garnish with a few sprigs of marjoram, if you like. You can freeze before baking for up to 1 month. Once frozen, wrap the dish in a freezer bag. Cook from frozen for 50 mins.

Top tips for making Quorn, squash and spinach lasagne

If you're short of time, there's no need to peel the squash. Simply cut off the ends and halve. If there are any seeds, remove these. Alternatively, use frozen, prepared squash and cook as above.

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