Polenta Lasagna
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves 8-10 people
- Olive oil for greasing and frying
- 1 cup polenta
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 onions, finely diced
- 1 rib celery, finely diced
- 1 carrot, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely diced
- 700g/25ozs. mushrooms, diced
- Salt and pepper for seasoning
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 3.5 cups hot milk
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- Sprinkle of grated nutmeg
- 680g/24oz. jar pasta bake sauce
- 1.5 cups mozzarella cheese
Step 1 - Line a swiss roll tin around the same size as your lasagna tin. Bring the milk and vegetable stock to a boil and then add the polenta and salt in in a steady stream. Cook until thick and then spread out into the tin. Cool and then allow to set in the fridge.
Step 2 - Meanwhile do the other parts to this lasagne. Heat the oil and add the onions, celery and carrot and cook until softened. Add the garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes, then add the mushrooms and cook until they release the liquid. Add the soy sauce and season and then make sure that the liquid evaporates.
Step 3 - Then make the bechamel sauce. Melt the butter on medium high heat and then add the flour and cook for a minute. Then switch to a whisk and add the hot milk gradually-in about 6-8 lots making sure to whisk between additions. Add cheese and nutmeg and taste for seasoning adding salt and pepper if it needs it.
Step 4 - Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Grease a lasagna tin and layer with the mushrooms, then add the pasta bake sauce. Then layer with the polenta (I made two layers as my swiss roll tin was so large) and then layer again with mushrooms and then the bechamel sauce at the end. Top with mozzarella cheese and bake for 20 minutes.