I always love a meat-free version of a family favourite, and this mushroom ragu makes an amazing lasagne. You can also use the ragu for spaghetti bolognaise, stuffing pasta shells or cannelloni. It’s a umami-packed, herb-scented mushroom feast that the entire family will love.
Ricotta would be the usual cheese to use here for the sauce, but it can be quite expensive and is not always readily available. I’ve been experimenting a lot with cottage cheese lately and it’s ideal for this creamy cheese sauce. I solve the texture issue by blitzing it with an egg and enriching it with Parmesan. It’s incredibly versatile. Cottage cheese is indeed having a moment, being hailed as a low fat, high protein wonder food. Here, it does taste very good in the sauce and is a more affordable option than ricotta.
I’ve used basil in this recipe, but I sometimes make a version using lemon zest and thyme that’s delicious too. This is a great dish that can be prepared ahead of time, and is perfect for serving in generous slices on busy summer evenings with a big green salad.
Lilly’s Kitchen Tips:
- If you can’t get fresh lasagne sheets, dried ones will do. Simmer the dried sheets in a pot of boiling salted water for five minutes first to slightly cook them, and drain well. This will speed up overall cooking time.
- I love the Mutti brand finely chopped tomatoes, but they can be quite pricey. Buy a good-quality tinned tomato and drain them, reserving the liquid. Tip the tomato chunks onto your chopping board and finely chop, then return the tomato pulp to the liquid. This will ensure a better texture.
- Invest in a mini chopper for recipes like this. They’re very affordable and will cut down on preparation time and encourage you to use more vegetables in cooking.
