Butternut Squash Lasagne

All the comfort and cosiness of a baked, oozy lasagne, but with bags more vegetable goodness and none of the refined flour stodginess.

• 2 large butternut squash, peeled and cored
• 500g beef mince
• 1 onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 celery stick, finely sliced
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 100 ml red wine
• 200-400ml chicken stock
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 60g butter
• 60g cornflour
• ½ tsp grated nutmeg
• 3 cups milk of choice
• ½ cup grated parmesan plus ½ cup to top

First make the meat sauce. Slice the garlic and onion finely, add the oil to a large casserole dish, and along with the carrots, and celery, sauté for 10 minutes. Add the fresh thyme, salt and pepper and turn up the heat to high. Brown the mince, stirring so it doesn’t stick after 5 minutes add the red wine to deglaze the pan and stir for a minute or two. Then add the tomatoes and some stock to the pan, bring to the boil then turn the heat down to a gentle blip and make the creamy cheese sauce! Can bubble away for up to an hour, just check liquid levels every so often and add more if too dry. Melt the butter in a small pan, whisk in the cornflour and nutmeg, with some salt, then gradually drizzle in the milk, stirring to combine all the time. Tip the cheese in and whisk together then set aside. To assemble you need to slice the squash vertically to make strips to act as the lasagne sheets. Cut them in half first, then carefully slice from the top down, approx ¼ inch widths. You should get about 8-10 from each vegetable. In a lasagne dish (rectangular oven proof) about 14” by 10” Spread about ½ of the ragu, followed by 1/3 of the cheese sauce, then lay ½ of the squash slices – cut into squares if easier to cover. There should be enough of everything to do this all again, finish with a layer of cheese sauce then sprinkle with parmesan. Bake in the oven at 180 for 20-30 minutes until golden brown and bubbling on top.