Red Lentil Lasagne with 'Spooky Pumpkin Seed Face'
One hour +
Beginner
Servings
6
Michael and Savanah were winners of our Halloween-themed 'Don't Be Afraid of Your Leftovers' school competition in partnership with Scottish Business in the Community and Good Family Food. The recipe calls for leftover Quorn bolognese but meat would work just as well depending on what you have in your fridge.The lentils are a great way of bulking out the leftover portion and creating a spooky face with pumpkin seeds is a creative way to use them up!
Freezable
Yes
Ingredients
1 batch of leftover Quorn or mince bolognese
Half a pack of lasagna sheets
150g grated cheddar cheese or parmesan
50g pumpkin seeds (toasted)
125g dried red lentils (cooked as per pack instructions)
8 cherry tomatoes (cut in half)
200g of pumpkin flesh (cooked and mashed)
2 tablespoons plain flour
50g butter
1 pint milk
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200°C conventional / 180°C fan
Boil the red lentils for 20 minutes in boiling water, then drain
Add the cooked lentils to the leftover bolognese and warm gently in a small pan until mixed thoroughly. Take off the heat and set aside. Add the halved cherry tomatoes to the sauce.
Make the white sauce - place a medium pan on a low heat and add the butter, allow to melt. Add the flour and whisk until it is thoroughly combined and cook through for a minute or so. Slowly add the milk, mixing all the time so it doesn’t form lumps. If it gets lumpy keep mixing with the whisk. Cook gently until the milk has heated through and the sauce has thickened. Take off the heat and set aside.
Assemble the lasagne into a square / rectangular oven proof dish. Start by spreading out a layer of pumpkin mash, then follow with a layer of lentils and bolognese then a layer of lasagne sheets. Next add some white sauce and scatter 1/3 of cheese on top
Repeat the steps above until the dish is full and all the ingredients have been used up (2 - 3 layers).
Create a spooky face on top using pumpkin seeds. Tip - why not try to make a ghost or skeleton or a vampire with the seeds? Finish with a scattering of cheese. Place into a preheated oven for 35-40 minutes until golden and bubbling on top, and cooked right through
