Phil Vickery's meat free lasagne recipe

Phil Vickery's meat free lasagne recipe makes a delicious family feast...and the sauce is made entirely from canned foods.

Phil Vickery's meat free lasagne recipe is made with a rich, bolognese sauce, combined with chickpeas and borlotti beans from scratch. This vegetable lasagne recipe is so easy to make and deliciously filling, you'll be surprised the bolognese sauce is made from entirely canned ingredients. This classic Italian meal is sure to become a family favourite to enjoy together, plus its lower in fat than your average lasagne as the chickpeas and beans have less fat than traditional minced meat like beef. This veggie lasagne serves 4 people and takes about 1hr and 10 mins to prepare and cook. Serve with salad and garlic bread for a real tasty treat.

Phil Vickery has been working to develop canned food tips and tricks as part of the Love Canned Food campaign in the hope of making the meal times simpler, and more affordable.

Love Phil's recipes? We've got loads more delicious recipes from Phil Vickery right here!

Ingredients

• 400g (8) dried lasagne sheets
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 small onions, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained
• 1 x 400g can borlotti beans drained
• 1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes in juice
• 1 heaped tbsp tomato puree
• 1 x 10g vegetable stock cube
• touch water
• 1 level tbsp dried oregano
• salt
• ground pepper
• 1 x 400g green beans drained (225g weight)
• 600mls milk
• 35g flour
• 40g soft butter
• salt
• pepper
• 75g fresh grated Parmesan cheese (or any cheese)

Method

1. Heat the oil and sauté the onions for 15 minutes, then add the garlic cook for a further 2 minutes, until it takes a little colour. Add the flour to soak up the oil mix well.
2. Next add the chickpeas, borlotti beans and mix well.
3. Add the can of tomatoes, tomato puree, stock cube, water, oregano and salt and pepper.
4. Bring to the boil and then turn down the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, take care it may catch slightly, stir occasionally.
5. Meanwhile make the white sauce.
6. Heat the milk, whilst that is warming, mix the butter and flour together well, then whisk into the simmering milk, it will thicken almost immediately.
7. Add salt, pepper and half the cheese then remove from the heat and keep warm.
8. Roughly chop the green beans and stir into the tomato sauce.
9. Heat the oven to 190°C gas 5.
10. Spoon a little bean sauce into baking dish, roughly 25cm x 25cm (slightly smaller if you have one)
11. Place over 4 lasagne sheets to cover well.
12. Add a layer of white sauce.
13. Add a layer of meat sauce
14. Add the final 4 sheets of pasta and finally top with the rest of the white sauce. (if you are freezing freeze at this point)
15. Sprinkle over the rest of the cheese and bake in the pre heated oven for 20-30 minutes.
16. Remove from the oven and cool slightly before eating with a large green salad.