Pumpkin Lentil Lasagne
A bit of a different take on the traditional lasagne, but just as delicious!
That creamy pumpkin sauce paired with a smoky lentil filling is a match made for each other. Plant based comfort food at its very finest!
This recipe makes about 4 serves.
Ingredients:
600g pumpkin, diced
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
50g tahini or cashew butter
40g natural plant protein, optional (see Notes)
1/2 cup unsweetened plant milk of choice, reduce to 2 tbsp if not adding protein
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can brown lentils, drained and rinsed
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp dried thyme
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
150g lasagne sheets, GF if needed
Black pepper, to taste
Method:
Cook pumpkin until soft.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a pan, then sauté onion and garlic until just translucent.
Add lentils, tomato paste, smoked paprika, thyme, salt and 1/2 cup of water. Simmer for about 10 minutes until thickened. Add in lemon juice and season to taste.
To make the sauce, add cooked pumpkin, garlic powder, milk, tahini/cashew butter, salt, nutritional yeast and protein (if using) to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Season to taste.
Preheat oven to 200°C. Layer some of sauce at the bottom of your lasagne, then place lasagne sheets on top, followed by a layer of lentil filling. Repeat until everything is used up, finishing with a layer of pumpkin sauce on top.
Bake for about 20-25 minutes until golden and lasagne sheets are cooked through. Serve!
Notes:
This recipe is great for meal prep and keeps well in the fridge for a few days.
Feel free to add extra veg into the lentil filling, such as diced mushrooms, spinach or kale.
I added some Green Planet Protein natural protein powder to the sauce just to bump the protein of this meal up a little more, but it’s totally optional and you can leave it out if you wish.
Also delicious is sprinkling some breadcrumbs, cashew Parmesan or vegan cheese on top before baking!
