Squash & fennel lasagne

Ingredients

For the filling

1kg squash (I used the butternut squash)

6 tbsp olive oil

1 fat garlic clove, finely chopped

a few sprigs of thyme, leaves only

750g fennel (3 large bulbs)

150g blue or goats cheese, crumbled (I used goat’s)

125g lasagne sheets (I used 6 dried sheets and felt perhaps a little more would be better)

20g parmesan cheese, grated

Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

For the bechamel sauce

1 litre milk

1 bay leaf

1 onion, roughly chopped

a few black peppercorns

50g butter

50g plain flour

2 tsp dijon mustard (I didn’t have this so used wholegrain)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to gas 4/180C
2. Start by preparing the first stage of the bechamel sauce. Heat the milk with the bay leaf, onion, & peppercorns until just before it starts to simmer. Turn the heat off and set aside to allow the flavours to infuse.
3. Peel & deseed the squash and cut into 2 cm cubes. Place in a large baking tray with 4 tbsp oil. Season well, turn over, and bake for 30 mins. Once out the oven add the garlic and thyme, stir, and set aside.
4. Remove any tough outer sections from the fennel and chop into small pieces. Fry in 2 tbsp olive oil on a low heat for 10-15 mins until soft. Set aside.
5. Reheat the infused milk, then strain and set aside
6. In a large saucepan melt the butter, then add the flour. Stir constantly for a couple of minutes until a smooth roux has formed. Remove from the the heat.
7. Add ¼ of the milk to the roux and beat until smooth. Add the remaining milk in 2 or 3 lots, beating each time. Return to a low heat, stirring frequently, until the sauce begins to bubble and thicken. Turn off the heat, add the mustard, and season.
8. In a large baking dish, put ⅓ of the bechamel sauce, followed by half the lasagne. Put the squash on top of that. Add another ⅓ of the sauce, then the remaining lasagne, then the fennel. Sprinkle or dot the goats cheese over the top, and then pour the remaining bechamel over the top. Sprinkle with the parmesan.
9. Bake for 30mins until golden brown and serve immediately with peas or a green salad.

This recipe tastes even better made with vegetables from Community Harvest Whetstone :)