Pumpkin and Greens Lasagna with Butterbean sauce: Meat Free Monday

Remember back to my post about cheese alternatives I mentioned using white beans such as butter beans to create a mock cheese sauce? Well this recipe is a great example!

Two layered vegan lasagna

This lasagna has been a work in progress for a while but I think it is now good enough to be showcased! I love the idea of a very neat lasagna with two defined layers, here we have one layer of roasted pumpkin and onions in a tomato sauce and the second layer is a leafy greens and courgette layer in a creamy butter bean sauce.

Even better is that I used this beautiful pumpkin that my mum bought home from her garden in France for me –

I have made mine so that the top layer of pasta is a little chewy and browned however if you like yours softer then simply add more sauce to the top! The best thing about this recipe is that you kind of build it up in the lasagna dish as you go, the first layer of pumpkin is roasted in the dish, tomatoes are added and it’s put back in the oven, then you create the layers on top! I have done some step by step photos for you below!

I love colourful food!

The other thing I love about using butterbeans in the sauce is how firm the sauce becomes, its creamy and delicious but also sliceable! and it goes perfectly with the green veg, I’d be tempted to make just that again with some rice as a nice comforting dinner.

Serves 6

450g Peeled Pumpkin (1 small pumpkin or enough to cover the bottom of your dish)
1 Onion
1 Garlic Clove
1 tblspn Chilli Powder
1 Can Tomatoes
2 Courgettes
1 Stick Celery
Large Bunch Spinach|
1 Can Butterbeans|
240ml Soya Milk (1 Cup)
8 Lasagna Sheets (I used the spinach variety)

Peel and cut up the pumpkin into large chunks, roughly all the same size. Roughly chop the onion and put into a lasagna dish with the pumpkin and a drizzle of vegetable oil and the chilli powder.

Pumpkin, Onion and Spices – The way a lot of my recipes begin!

Roast in an oven heated to 200c for 20 minutes uncovered. Take it out of the oven and add crushed garlic, the canned tomatoes and a little seasoning, stir to combine everything then add back into the oven for 10 minutes. This forms the base layer of your lasagna.

Canned tomatoes added to create the sauce

While the lasagna is in the oven blend the butterbeans and milk together and put to one side.

In a frying pan heat a little oil and add the thinly sliced celery and courgette and fry until softened, add a splash of water if it starts to brown too much. Add 3/4 of the butterbean sauce and spinach to the frying pan and simmer for 10 minutes. You leave the other 1/4 of butterbean sauce in the blender until the lasagna is assembled as it will be poured over the top.

Spinach pasta!

To assemble place enough lasagna sheets to cover the tomato pumpkin mix. A little bit of over lap is ok but not too much! Press the sheets down unto the sauce a bit.

Butterbeans are the base of this creamy sauce

Top the lasagna sheets with the creamy greens and spread out to form an even layer. The sauce will soak into the lasagna sheets making it lovely and soft after cooking.

More Spinach pasta then more sauce to finish!

Add more pasta sheets to cover the green vegetables layer and pour over the rest of the sauce. At this point you need to press the top lasagna sheets down so that all corners are covered by the sauce. This means they will go soft and not burn.

Once cooked the butterbean sauce firms up abit, the top pasta goes slightly chewy and the middle pasta goes beautifully soft! Serve with a nice green salad or some steamed brocolli and green beans! This recipe also freezes well so is a great one to make in advance for the week/ month ahead.

Lovely cooked lasagna!