Lasagne (gluten free, vegan, low fodmap)

Hearty, wholesome and utterly delicious. This ‘free from’ lasagne is absolutely epic. Feel free to switch up the vegetables and perhaps add some aubergine (egg plant), squash, spinach, kale or anything else that you love. Check the Monash University Low fodmap app to ensure you’re using portion sizes that won’t affect your symptoms of IBS, and have fun making the dish your own with the ingredients that you love. 

LASAGNE (serves 4)

Vegetable ragu ingredients

Garlic infused olive oil

1 large or 2-3 small spring onions - roughly chopped (use the green part only)

1/2 stalk celery - finely diced

1 large carrot - grated

1 courgette - roughly chopped

3 small - medium peppers. I use red, yellow and green - roughly chopped

1 can of green or brown lentils (rinse thoroughly - 1/4 can is a suitable serving for most people with IBS. If you cannot tolerate lentils, sub for some vegan mince. Quorn Mince is low fodmap)

1 tbsp tomato purée + 1 can of chopped tomatoes or 1 jar of Fody foods marinara sauce

2 Bay leaves

2 tbsp tamari

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp basil

1 tsp paprika

Cracked black pepper

Gf lasagne sheets I used organ

Note: If you don’t need it to be gluten free biona spelt lasagne sheets have a really lovely flavour and texture.

Method

Add a little garlic oil to a large pan over a medium heat. Sauté the spring onion, carrot and celery for a couple of minutes, add the courgette and peppers and sweat out for a few minutes until everything is beginning to soften.

Add the herbs and tomato purée and stir everything together. Next add the lentils, chopped tomatoes (or fody foods marinara sauce) and the tamari. Add 1 1/2 cups of water and give everything a good stir.

Bring to the boil then reduce to a low - medium heat and let it gently bubble away for approx 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the liquid has significantly reduced and thickened and you’re left with a fresh and delicious veg packed sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Remove the bay leaves. 

Béchamel/ “cheese” sauce ingredients

2 tbsp Garlic infused oil Or 1 tbsp Dairy free butter

3 tbsps brown rice flour or gluten free flour of your choice

Juice of one lemon

2 - 2 1/2 cups unsweetened plant based milk

1/3 cup nutritional yeast

Pinch of salt and cracked black pepper

Herbs of your choice, I use -

1/2 tsp Oregano

1/2 tsp Parsley

1/4 tsp Chives

Generous pinch of chilli flakes

Dairy free cheese and smoked paprika for the topping 

Sauce method

Heat the oil or butter in a large pan over a low to medium heat, add the flour and stir until combined then cook out for a minute or so. Add 1/2 cup of the milk and whisk vigorously to remove any lumps, when it starts to thicken add the rest of the milk, increase the heat and continue to whisk, paying attention so that it doesn’t collect at the sides of the pan. Add the lemon, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper and herbs and continue to whisk until it thickens.

Taste and adjust the seasoning and feel free to loosen the sauce with a little more milk to reach your desired consistency.

To assemble

Preheat the oven to 200°C. 

Depending on the depth of your oven dish you can build it up in to two or three full layers. I used two. 

Add a one or two tablespoons of the cheese sauce and spread around the bottom of your oven dish. Next add 1/2 of the vegetable ragu (or 1/3 if you’re making three layers) and spread evenly. Cover with lasagne sheets then add a layer of approx 1/2 (or 1/3) of the cheese sauce. Repeat the same process with another layer of vegetable ragu and lasagne sheets.

For the final layer of cheese sauce the trick to make the topping look and taste like the real deal is to mix grated cheese (use a dairy free one that you know melts well. Feel free to use traditional cheddar if you’re vegetarian and/or are able to eat lactose) and mix it in with the remaining sauce then spoon over the top and spread out. Drizzle with a little garlic oil and sprinkle lightly with smoked paprika.

Bake in the oven for about 20-30 minutes or until the pasta is cooked through and the top is beautifully browning and bubbling. 

I like to bake it until it’s just catching in places. The slightly burnt bits are my favourite! Anyone else?

Serve with a lovely salad and enjoy.

If you have any left over, once it’s cooled you can divide into portions and store in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for a month or so. So you can have a lovely meal on hand when you don’t have the time or energy to cook.