Creamy courgette lasagne

Ingredients

Serves: 4 

• 9 dried lasagne sheets
• 1 tablespoon sunflower or olive oil + extra for drizzling
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 700g courgettes (about 6), coarsley grated
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 200g ricotta cheese
• 50g Cheddar cheese, grated
• 350g jar of tomato sauce for pasta

Method

1. Heat oven to 220 C / Gas 7.
2. Put pan of water on to boil, then cook lasagne sheets for about 5 minutes until softened but not cooked through. Rinse with cold water then to stop them sticking together drizzle with a little olive oil.
3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the onion. After 3 minutes, add the courgettes and garlic and continue to fry until the courgette has softened and turned green.
4. Stir in 2/3 of the ricotta and cheddar, then season to taste.
5. Heat the tomato pasta sauce until hot.
6. In a large baking dish, layer up the lasagne starting with half the courgette mix, then the pasta, then the tomato sauce. Repeat, top with blobs of the remaining ricotta, then scatter with the rest of the Cheddar.
7. Bake on the top shelf for about 10 minutes until the pasta is tender and the cheese is golden.

 

Courgette, walnut and yogurt mezze

 (serves 4 as a dip)

3 medium sized firm courgettes
60 g walnuts
½ cloves garlic
½ lemon
1 tbsp tahini
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
10g flat leaf parsley
2 tbsp Greek yogurt
freshly ground black pepper

Grate the courgettes, add the salt and leave to drain in a colander for 15 or so minutes then give them a good squeeze to extract as much moisture as possible.
Heat a frying pan over a moderate heat and add 2 tbsp of the olive oil.
Fry the courgettes gently for 10 or so minutes or until all the liquid has evaporated and the courgettes have softened.
Add the courgettes to a mixing bowl and leave to cool.
Bash the walnuts roughly in a pestle and mortar.
When the courgettes are cool, add the juice of the lemon, finely chopped or mashed garlic,three-quarters of the walnuts, and the yogurt and tahini (if you want a completely smooth dip, put all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth).
Serve on a plate and garnish with the chopped parsley, remaining walnuts and tablespoon of oil.