Ingredients
1tbspolive oil
3garlic cloves,minced
1onion,roughly chopped
1carrot,diced
1red capsicum,diced
2lbslean ground beef
¼cupfreshly chopped parsley
24ozPassata
1tbsptomato paste
1tspsugar
1tbspVegeta,or any other vegetable stock powder
4cupspumpkin,peeled, deseeded and finely sliced, ½ cm – ⅛-inch slices
6lasagna sheets,whole meal/spelt or whole grain lasagna sheets
1cupricotta cheese,fat free
4cupslight mozzarella cheese,grated
4tbsplight/reduced-fat butter,or margarine
3tbspflour,whole wheat/whole meal or light spelt
2cupsskim milk,or almond milk
pinch of salt
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 390 degrees F. Heat the oil in a large-sized pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and pan fry for about 1 to 2 minutes or until onion is transparent.
Add the carrots and capsicums/peppers, pan frying until soft; add the beef, and cook stirring while breaking up the meat until browned.
Stir through parsley, Passata, tomato paste, sugar and stock powder. Season with salt to taste; remove from heat and set aside.
Melt the butter in a medium sized saucepan on low heat. Add the flour and whisk it the butter until lump free and smooth.
Add a small amount of milk at a time (about ¼ cup each time), whisking until smooth and combined between each interval. (Add ¼ cup more than the suggested 2 cups to reach desired consistency if needed). Stir through salt to taste.
Spray a large oven proof baking dish with nonstick spray and wipe excess over with a paper towel.
Spoon about 1½ cups of the beef sauce around the base of the pan.
Layer with 3 sheets on top and about 1½ cups of meat sauce over the sheets. Arrange pumpkin slices over the meat sauce; spoon half the ricotta evenly over the sauce and half the mozzarella cheese.
Repeat to create another layer with the 3 remaining lasagna sheets; the remaining sauce; remaining pumpkin slices and ricotta. Spoon the Béchamel over the ricotta and top with the mozzarella cheese.
Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and change the oven setting to grill/broil on medium heat to brown the top. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
