Kale and mushroom lasagne

We bought into the radical idea of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall to put vegetables centre stage. This wholesome and warming dish oozes with the earthy taste of kale smothered in thick béchamel and is complemented by the aromatic chestnut mushrooms. A completely meatless version of lasagne that elevates the crunchy texture of cavolo nero.

The following recipe is adapted from "River Cottage Veg everyday!" by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

Ingredients for 6

For the filling
- 300 g of cavolo nero, tough stalks removed
- 30 g of butter
- 500 g of sliced chestnut mushrooms
- 2 finely chopped garlic cloves
- 2 sprigs of finely chopped thyme without stalks
- 20 g of grated parmesan
- Slush of olive or rapeseed oil
- Freshly ground sea salt and black pepper

For the lasagne sheets
- 190 grams of '00 flour
- Pinch of ground sea salt
- 2 medium eggs
- 1 to 2 tsp of water

For the béchamel sauce
- 150 ml of semi-skimmed milk
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1 roughly chopped onion
- 1 roughly chopped celery stalk
- A small handful of black pepper corns
- 50 grams of unsalted butter
- 50 grams of plain flour
- 2 tsp of Dijon mustard

Preparing the lasagne sheets

Mix the flour and salt in a bowl and make a well in the centre. Lightly beat the eggs, put them in the centre of the flour mixture and gradually incorporate the dry ingredients with the egg (either by hands or a kitchen robot). If the mixture becomes to dry add the water, one teaspoon at a time.

Once a firm dough has been formed shape it into a round and leave to rest for 30 minutes. Afterwards, divide the dough in 5 to 6 equal portions and roll the dough to 1 mm thick sheets using a pasta maker. Leave the sheets to rest for 15 to 30 minutes before assembling the lasagne.

Preparing the lasagne dish

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (gas mark 4).

In a medium size saucepan pour the milk and add the bay leaf, onion, celery and pepper corns. Heat until just before simmering. Set aside to allow the milk to infuse.

Roughly chop the cavolo nero and then put into a large saucepan. Pour cold water, enough to cover the kale and add salt. Once boiling reduce the heat and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes, until lightly tender. Drain and set aside.

Melt the butter in a large frying pan and add half the mushrooms with a little salt and pepper. Stir frequently until all the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms start to caramelise. Then add the garlic and thyme. Stir and fry for a little longer. Set the mushroom mixture aside and repeat with the remaining half.

Reheat the infused milk until just before simmering and then strain. In a large pan melt the butter and cook gently for less than a minute. Then stir in the flour until well combined with the butter for about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and gradually pour in the milk (in 3 to 4 batches) whilst whisking vigorously to incorporate each batch of milk until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Return to the heat and cook until bubbly and thick. Stir frequently and then add mustard and salt and pepper to taste.

Mix the cavolo nero with half of the béchamel sauce in a separate bowl.

Spread half of the remaining bechamel over the bottom of an ovenproof dish (ours is 23 by 30 cm). Divide the lasagne sheets into three batches. Place the first batch of the lasagne sheets over the béchamel sauce in the dish. Then spread the cavolo nero. Place your second batch of the lasagne sheets over the kale. Then spread the mushrooms. Finally, place the last batch of the lagagne sheets over the mushrooms and cover with the remaining bechamel. Sprinkle with the cheese and drizzle with a little oil. Bake for 30 minutes until the lasagne is golden and lightly crispy on top.

Kale and mushroom lasagne (with a roast homegrown tomato)