Italian Vegetable Lasagna with Béchamel (Lasagne di Verdure)

Ever since I lived in Milan, I've loved making vegetable "lasagne" (that's how it's spelled in Italian).

I have to say that, the way I make it, lasagna is a laborious dish, because I cook all the vegetables separately. I like it to have lots of layers — at least 7 or 8.

In Italy I used to buy huge lasagna sheets that came with an aluminium tray you could then put straight in the oven, which made the whole process much easier. Whenever I travel to Italy now, among the several kilos of pasta (Voiello) I bring back, I leave a little room for some of these lasagna trays, they're so convenient. I don't remember the brand; it's been a while since I was last in Italy.

I usually put two layers of carrot, two of zucchini, two of spinach and one or two of onion. Between the many layers of pasta, as well as the vegetables, I add plenty of béchamel and a little tomato sauce (in the style of cannelloni Rossini, a classic). The béchamel adds flavour, stabilises the lasagna tower (it acts a bit like cement) and above all gives the dish creaminess and richness.

Not much more to explain. For the lasagna sheets, the usual: follow the manufacturer's instructions. Some can go in almost without soaking if they'll have liquid in the oven.

Chop the vegetables very small and fry them separately in a little olive oil.

Make a béchamel by the book: flour and butter (so far we have what's called a roux), then add the milk while stirring so no lumps form. Adding nutmeg is optional.

Now take an ovenproof dish and spread a thin first layer of béchamel on the bottom to stop it sticking. Then start layering the vegetables with a little béchamel and a touch of tomato sauce, a layer of pasta, a layer of vegetables, and finish with pasta as a roof. Once the tower of pasta and vegetables is built, cover the sides and top with plenty of béchamel and again a touch of tomato sauce. You can sprinkle a little Parmesan and butter on top for a gratin effect.

All that's left is to bake it for no less than 15 minutes at 180 °C, checking what the pasta manufacturer says about cooking time — whether it's Mr Barilla, Mr De Cecco, Mr Gallo or any other brand you trust.

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