Lentil lasagne (TM)

Lentils often sound boring, but used this way they are delicious especially if made with earthy Puy lentils (Lentilles vertes du Puy)

Ingredients

Printable 🛒 shopping list & 👩‍🍳 method for this recipe

• 350g Puy lentils
• 125g Parmesan or Grana Padano cheese (for a vegetarian alternative, use Bookham's Twineham Grange cheese)
• 30g butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, thickly sliced
• Garlic to taste, thickly sliced
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 600g vegetable stock
• Seasoning
• 40g plain flour
• 40g butter
• Freshly ground white pepper
• Freshly ground nutmeg - use plenty
• 600g milk
• Lasagne sheets (use the ones that don't require cooking first)
• Extra butter for dotting (optional)

Method

1. Wash the lentils and put them in a jug covered with boiling water.
2. Meanwhile cut the cheese into chunks, add to the bowl 6 seconds / Speed 10'Bold text'
3. Remove from the bowl and reserve
4. Add the butter, oil, onion and garlic to the TM bowl 25 minutes / Speed 1 / Temp Varoma / Reverse blade / MC off, but increase to Speed 2 for the last 10 minutes
5. Drain the lentils and add to the bowl 2 minutes / Speed 2 / 100° C / Reverse blade / MC off
6. Add the coriander and vegetable stock 25 minutes / Speed 2 / 100° C / Reverse blade / MC off - much of the liquid should have been absorbed. If not, increase the cooking time, but watch it because you don't want the mixture to be totally absorbed
7. Season to taste, but bear in mind that the cheese will be salty
8. Remove from the bowl and reserve
9. Rinse the bowl so that any traces of the lentils mixture have disappeared (no need for a thorough wash)
10. Add the butter, flour, pepper, nutmeg and milk to the rinsed out bowl 7 minutes / Speed 4 / 90° C / MC on
11. In the meantime, pre-heat the oven 200° C (400° F - gas 6), [fan oven 180° C & reduce cooking time by 10 mins per hour]

To prepare for the oven

1. Take a lasagne or baking dish and pour half of the lentil mixture into the bottom - spread it out fairly evenly
2. Cover with lasagne sheets
3. Pour half of the sauce over the sheets, then top with half of the grated cheese
4. Add the remaining lentils, lasagne sheets, sauce and cheese as just described
5. Dot the top layer of cheese with butter if desired.
6. Bake for about 45 minutes

Recipe source

• Adapted and converted for Thermomix from a recipe by Rose Elliot

Chef's notes

The timing for cooking the lentils is approximate and you may find that you will need a little less stock or a shorter cooking time. Puy lentils are cooked in 20-25 minutes if boiled, so try not to over cook them, especially as they have had a short soaking beforehand. Just don't let the mixture get too dry and bear in mind that the liquid will continue to evaporate whilst making the béchamel sauce.