Autumn brings new flavours & recipes

End of Summer!

This week has brought a definite shift in the weather. My garden is covered with leaves, and no sooner do I rake them up, more take their place. The rain has been hammering it down, and the air feels noticeably different. Have you sensed it too? That sudden change in the air? It’s cooler now, not just at night, but throughout the days too. Summer has truly given way to autumn.

Oh, and if you’re in the UK, the Great British Bake Off is back on our screens on Tuesday nights! Did you watch the first episode of the new season? All vegetarian here, but did you see that duck?!!! Also on tv this week, I saw Matt Tebbutt talking about his new cookbook, focused on hearty pub food and the warmth of the season. Summer squashes may be fading, but in their place come winter squashes like kabocha, butternut, and spaghetti – some of my favourites. And let’s not forget the spices that complement them – anyone for a pumpkin spice latte?

Summer to Autumn Lasagne

This is the perfect dish to bridge between the seasons, combining the last of the summer courgettes with rich, earthy aubergines for a hearty vegetable lasagne. I’ve added beans for an extra hit of protein, making it both filling and nourishing as the days turn cooler. To top it off, I trialled a new vegan cheese, and the result was amazing – the crispy, golden topping was one of the most delicious things I’ve eaten in a long while. The layers of vegetables, creamy béchamel, and soft pasta make this the ideal comfort dish to ease from summer into the warmth of autumn.

The Vegetable Lasagne Recipe

I’ve kept this recipe simple so you can easily whip it up without too much fuss! As with most lasagnes, you only need three main components: a vegetable-packed sauce, a creamy cheese sauce, and your lasagne sheets. For the sauce, I used a tin of tomatoes, a tin of beans, courgettes, onion, broccoli, aubergine, and carrot, with plenty of garlic and Italian herbs. If you have leftover ready cooked veg this is perfect for adding to this, or frozen would work too – anything to make things quicker and easier. The cheese sauce is made with butter, flour, milk, a bit of cheese and nutritional yeast (nooch) for that savoury, cheesy flavour. Then, all that’s needed is some layering of all three finishing with the cheese sauce and an extra sprinkle of cheese.

Print

Vegetable Lasagne

Layers of vegetable packed sauce, creamy cheese sauce and pasta sheets.

Course: dinner, lunch, main

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: comfort food, lasagne, pasta dishes, vegan lasagne

Created by:: Laurena @LifeDietHealth

Gather

• Vegetable Sauce
• *oil of choice (if required)
• 1/2 medium onion diced
• 1/2 medium aubergine diced
• 1 large courgette sliced
• 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 to 1 tin cold water
• 1 teaspoon Italian herb mix (or mixed herbs & a pinch of chilli flakes)
• 2 teaspoons garlic granules
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or sub salt to taste)
• 400 g tin cannellini beans drained
• 200-500 g cooked vegetables (carrot, broccoli, courgette, peppers green beans etc.) roughly chopped
• Cheese Sauce
• 50 g butter (approx 2 tablespoons)
• 50 g plain flour (approx 2 tablespoons)
• 300 ml milk I used unsweetened oat
• 1-2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (or sub more cheese)
• 100-200 g grated cheese
• 6-9 lasagne sheets depending on your dish size

Prepare

1. First, start the vegetable sauce. Heat the oil if using in a large frying or wok pan, add the onion and cook until just changing colour. Add the aubergine and courgette and cook for a couple more minutes. Stir the tinned tomatoes in and the water. Turn the heat down and simmer.

2. Sprinkle the spices over (Italian seasoning, garlic, pepper, soy sauce) and stir through.

3. Add the beans, then the cooked vegetables and gently stir in. Leave to cook for 15 minutes (keep an eye on the liquid content).
4. While the vegetable sauce is cooking, start the cheese sauce.
5. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and stir in the flour. You should get a soft ball of mixture form – add a bit more flour if necessary. Add a bit of milk, and using a whisk, beat it in. Continue adding milk in small increments until you have a smooth and slightly thick sauce (if it gets thick too quickly, add more milk).
6. Stir in the nutritional yeast and half of the cheese and mix well to combine. Continue to stir until the flakes have dissolved. Add some black pepper, then do a quick taste test. Add more cheese if needed (if you wish you could add some soft cheese or grated cheese too.)
7. Allow to cook through for a couple of minutes , then set aside.
8. Assemble the lasagne. Get an ovenproof rectangular dish (approx 2 lasagne sheets in size). Grease the bottom with a bit of oil, then layer vegetable sauce, cheese sauce, then the lasagne sheets (careful not to overlap them), and repeat. Finish with the white sauce ensuring the pasta is completely covered. Finish with a covering of grated cheese.
9. Bake at Gas Mark 6 (400f /200c) for approximately 40 minutes (it is ready when the top is brown, crispy and bubbling).
10. Remove from the oven, slice and serve.
11. Enjoy!

What do I need?

Lasagne is a food people often avoid making as they think they have nothing to assemble it in. Or maybe they only have one pan. Of course you can use any ovenproof dish or bowl you already have. If using a smaller dish, make multiple smaller lasagnes and break the lasagne sheets up to fit. As for the pan, cook the cheese sauce first, decant into a bowl, then make your veg sauce. Alternatively, search here for items from Amazon such as chopping boards, kitchen knives, large wok type pans, lasagne dishes or even some new dinner plates. I may receive a small commission if you purchase through these links.

Serving

Serve your lasagne freshly made as it is, maybe with a side salad, more vegetables or some garlic bread. Delicious fresh from the oven, you can also enjoy this cold straight from the fridge. Try it as an easy on the go lunch idea.

Storing

The great thing about lasagne is that the taste improves after a few days rest in the fridge. You can enjoy it for up to three days afterwards. This can also be frozen (check your dish first, most can be frozen) for up to three months. Remember to label and date if freezing. If you’ve made a large dish, portion it up first so you can easily get out what you need.

Sharing

Let me know if you’re going to have a go at making this easy lasagne? Also, what recipes would you like to see going into Autumn? Apples, pears, pumpkins, squashes, leeks, carrots, and cabbage are all coming into season now – what shall we make?

I love hearing about any recipes of mine you try. Send me a message with any ideas you adapt or suggestions you have for future recipes. Please share and tag me @LifeDietHealth or using #LifeDietHealth on Instagram, Pinterest,  Facebook or X.

Leave me a comment below… I love to chat!

I hope to speak with you soon

Laurena x