Courgette, Pea & Ricotta Lasagna

Courgette, Pea & Ricotta Lasagna

This was a recipe I created for a series I did for Collagerie last year. A great one for when courgettes are in season and you’ve got people coming over.

Looking for more pasta dishes? Check these out.

Ingredients:

350g lasagne pasta sheets (gf)

For the filling:

3 tbsp olive oil

3 medium courgettes, sliced into 3cm chunks

350g cherry tomatoes, halved

400g tinned chickpeas (1 tsp bicarbonate of soda)

6 garlic cloves, diced

200g frozen peas

Small bunch fresh basil, roughly chopped

2 buffalo mozzarella balls, torn into 3cm pieces.

For the tomato sauce:

2 tins of plum tomatoes

2 garlic cloves, grated,

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp tomato purée

1 tsp sugar,

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional).

For the ricotta sauce:

45g melted butter

150g Grana Padano, plus about 20g extra for grating over the top

500g ricotta cheese,

Lots of grated nutmeg to taste

Zest of 1 lemon and a small squeeze juice,

Salt + pepper

170ml whole milk

Extra olive oil and grated cheese for the topping

Preheat the oven to 200˚C (fan). Grease a 25cmx33cm baking tray with a spoon of oil.

Pour the chickpeas with the tin water into a bowl and top with extra water to completely cover. Mix in 1 level teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda and leave while the courgettes cook.

Set a large saucepan to a medium-to-high heat with 3 spoons of olive oil. Add the chopped courgettes and tomatoes. Season with salt & pepper, cover (leaving a gap) and cook for 10 mins. Mix every so often. Stir in the 6 cloves of chopped garlic and cook for another 5 mins. Wash the chickpeas under cold water, drain and add to the pot. Season and simmer for another 5 mins. Stir in the peas and basil.

Put all the tomato-sauce ingredients into a blender and blitz for 20 secs until smooth.

Add all ingredients for ricotta sauce into a bowl and beat together for 20 secs.

Spread a few spoons of the tomato sauce across the baking tray and top with one layer of lasagne, followed by more tomato sauce. Add half of the courgette mix, top with 1 ball of mozzarella, grated cheese, 1/3 of the ricotta sauce, and salt & pepper. Repeat once. Top with more pasta, the last 3rd of the ricotta sauce, grated cheese, seasoning and olive oil.

Bake for 40/45 mins in the middle of the oven.

Eat straight away with extra cheese!

Watch me make the recipe here!