Porcini and Cavolo Nero Lasagne is the most wonderful comfort food. I love a gluten-free, vegan lasagne. I have experimented with all sort of vegetables in lasagne but this version is perfect. I love porcini mushrooms with cavolo nero and aubergine. Fabulous!

Salad is a great accompaniment for Porciini and Cavolo Nero Lasagne and I would go for Winter Vegetable Salad With Walnut Dressing. However, I think that the fruit in Grilled Nectarine Salad with Rocket and Walnuts would also work really, really well.

Allergy Information – Porcini and Cavolo Nero Lasagne

Porchini and Cavolo Nero Lasagne is gluten-free and vegan as well as… celery free, coconut free, garlic free, lupin free, mustard free, onion free, peanut free, sesame free, soya free, tree nut free.

Top Tips – Porcini and Cavolo Nero Lasagne

I used dried porcini mushrooms as they are great store cupboard essentials and they are very expensive fresh – you can mix up fresh and dried if you are feeling fancy.

You can find out exactly when the ingredients for this fabulous dish are in-season in the UK by checking out my FREE Seasonal Produce Posters. There are two posters you can save and/ or print to use as quick reference guides for UK Seasonal Produce. Click the button below to sign-up and download.



Recipe – Porcini and Cavolo Nero Lasagne

Difficulty easy

Serves 4-6

Preparation time 30 minutes (if you have already roasted the squash)

Cooking time 60 minutes

Ingredients – Porcini and Cavolo Nero Lasagne

Tomato Sauce

0.25 teaspoon asafoetida

2 tbs olive oil

0.5 tsp dried red chilli (or to taste)

0.5 tsp dried oregano

1 packet (500 millilitres) passata

15 grams dried porcini mushroom hydrated in 200 milliltres stock

White Sauce

250 grams cashews (not roasted) soaked in water for at least 2 hours and drained

300 millilitres cup water

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

0.25 teaspoon asafoetida

1 teaspoon sea salt

Filling

2 tablespoon rapeseed oil

1 medium aubergine

Half a Roasted Butternut Squash

130 grams cavolo nero

1 packet gluten-free, vegan lasagne sheets

Method – Porcini and Cavolo Nero Lasagne

Tomato Sauce

1. Warm the olive oil in a pan

2. Add the asafoetida to the pan and fry gently for one to two minutes. Add the dried oregano and chilli and gently fry for one to two minutes

4. Place the passata in the pan and stir gently to mix and simmer gently for approximately 10 minutes

5. Add the porcini mushrooms and stock to the tomato sauce and simmer for a further 30 minutes.

White Sauce

1. Place all the white sauce ingredients in a blender and blend until completely smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Filling and Assembly

1. Slice the aubergine length-ways into long slices (approximately four millimetres thick)

2. Place a large frying pan on a medium heat, coat the aubergine slices in the rapeseed oil and place in the pan. Cook the aubergine until soft and browned on both sides. Remove from the pan, drain on kitchen paper and set aside

3. Dice the roasted squash in to one to two centimetre pieces

4. Remove the thick stem from the length of the cavalo nero stems

5. Preheat oven to 180 C (fan)

6. To assemble the lasagne spread a small amount of tomato sauce in the bottom of the baking dish (to prevent sticking) and add a layer of lasagna sheets

7. The next layer is the cavolo nero, and half of the diced butternut squash sprinkled over the cavolo nero. Add a layer of tomato and porcini sauce on top

8. Follow with another layer of lasagne sheets. Now add the aubergine layer and the rest of the butternut squash sprinkled on top. Add another layer of tomato and porcini sauce on top

9. Follow with another layer of lasagne sheets, a layer of tomato sauce and finally, carefully add the white sauce to the top

10. Place in the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes until the top is lightly browned, the vegetables are soft and the lasagne is cooked and soft

11. Serve with salad.

