Vegetarian Courgette Lasagne with Mushroom, Tofu and Bean Ragú

Introduction

What if I told you it is possible to have a vegetarian lasagne better than the traditional meat version? What if I told you it is possible to forgo the usual lasagne pasta sheets, opting instead for courgette strips? What if I told you we can make a much simpler and lower-calorie version of the usual béchamel sauce?… Would we still be looking at the concept of lasagne? That is debatable. What is not debatable is the explosion of flavours in this delicacy, which, just like the traditional version, is essential to eat hours after it is made, so that all the flavours meld properly.

Instructions

Tofu Marinade

1. Prepare the tofu. Press the tofu well on a board to release most of its water. Crumble the tofu coarsely.

2. Marinate. Place the tofu in a container. Open the chilli and discard the seeds. Chop it and add it to the tofu, along with the chopped garlic clove. Add the dried seasonings of thyme, basil and paprika. Also grate the nutmeg fresh, as well as the fresh ginger, peeled. Mix well. Pour in the red wine until covered. Chop the coriander and parsley and add them to the tofu, mixing again with a few drops of lemon.

Ragú

3. Blanch the tomatoes. Score an X on the base of the tomatoes and drop them into boiling water in a pot. Wait 20 seconds and remove them immediately into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Reserve the water.

4. Concassé. Peel the tomatoes, cut them into quarters and remove the seeds. Then cut them into brunoise.

5. Prepare the vegetables. Peel the carrot and cut it into brunoise. Peel and chop the onion and garlic. Also cut the celery into brunoise. As for the pepper, peel it with a vegetable peeler, open it to remove the seeds and white membranes, and cut it, likewise, into brunoise.

6. Sauté. Add olive oil generously to a hot pot. Add the onion with a few grains of salt and let it sweat. Then add the garlic and sauté a little more. Add the carrot, celery, pepper and tomato. Let it develop flavour, seasoning with salt and pepper.

7. Build the ragú. Tie the thyme and bay leaves with kitchen twine and add them to the sauté, along with the mushrooms. Squeeze the tomato paste into the pot and stir for 2-3 minutes. Pour the crumbled tofu with its marinade into the pot. If needed, add more wine to almost completely cover the ingredients.

8. Cook. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes and then add the tomato pulp. Cover, leaving an opening for some steam to escape. Wait until all the ingredients soften and develop flavour and the sauce reduces (about 20 minutes). If the sauce reduces too much before the ingredients are cooked, add a little of the tomato blanching water.

9. Finish the ragú. Add the beans and layer in more flavour with soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar and honey. Stir. Discard the bouquet garni of bay leaves and thyme. Adjust the seasoning and, if acidity is lacking, add a few drops of lemon just before turning off the heat. Set aside.

Ricotta White Sauce

10. Prepare the sauce. In a bowl, add the ricotta, egg yolks, nutmeg, thyme leaves, fleur de sel and pepper. Mix well. If it is too thick, add a small amount of the tomato blanching water and mix again.

Assembly

11. Prepare the courgette sheets. While the ragú reduces, preheat the oven to 230°. Slice the courgette on a mandoline. Sprinkle them with just a little fleur de sel to help them release water more easily. When the fleur de sel dissolves, pat dry the excess water with absorbent paper.

12. Assemble the lasagne. Spread a little ragú on the bottom of a large ovenproof dish. Cover the surface with the courgette sheets. Over them, spread some of the ragú and, on top, a little of the ricotta white sauce. Repeat the process until you run out of courgette sheets.

13. Gratinate. After the last layer of courgette sheets, add the remaining ragú and white sauce. Slice the mozzarella into rounds and spread them on top of the lasagne. Over them, place the basil leaves. Grate Parmigiano Reggiano fresh over the entire surface, ensuring it completely covers all the basil leaves so they do not burn. Bake for 35 minutes.

14. Rest. Remove the lasagne from the oven and let it settle and cool for at least 1 hour. Ideally, wait until the next day, reheating it in the oven.

Serving

Cut the lasagne into generous squares, placing one on each plate. Serve alongside a simple lettuce, onion and parsley salad. Garnish the lasagne with a sprig of basil.