Kale lasagne

Bechamel

Ingredients

750ml whole milk
1 bay leaf
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
A few black peppercorns
50g unsalted butter
50g plain flour
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Directions

Heat the milk for the bechamel sauce with the bay leaf, onion, celery and peppercorns until just below simmering. Remove from the heat and set aside to infuse.
15 mins or more later, strain keeping the milk.
Heat the butter for the b'echamel sauce in a large saucepan.
Stir in the flour to form a smooth roux and cook gently for a minute or two. Remove from the heat. Add about a quarter of the hot milk and beat vigorously until smooth.
Repeat with the remaining milk, adding it in 2 or 3 lots, until you have a smooth sauce. Return to the heat and cook for a few minutes, stirring often, allowing it to bubble gently until thickened.
Stir in the mustard, then add some salt and pepper.

Kale lasagne filling

Ingredients

300g curly kale
30g butter
500g mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
A few sprigs of thyme, leaves only, chopped
175g lasagne sheets (fresh is best, but dried is fine)
20g Parmesan, grated

Directions

Roughly shred the kale or cavolo nero.
Put into a large saucepan and just cover with cold water. Add salt. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes, until just tender. Drain well and set aside.
Heat half the butter in a large, wide frying pan over a medium heat.
Add half the mushrooms and some salt and pepper. Increase the heat and fry, stirring often, for 5-10 minutes, until the liquid released by the mushrooms has evaporated and they are starting to reduce, concentrate and caramelise.
Stir in half the garlic and half the thyme, cook for a minute longer, then remove to a bowl.
Repeat to cook the remaining mushrooms and set aside.

Final directions

Preheat the oven to 180 celsius.
Stir about half of the bechamel sauce into the kale; put to one side.
Spread half the remaining bechamel over the bottom of a 28 x 22cm (or thereabouts) ovenproof dish.
Layer a third of the lasagne sheets in the dish, then spoon the kale over the top. Add another layer of lasagne, then the mushrooms.
Finish with a final layer of pasta and the remaining bechamel. Scatter over the cheese and add a trickle of oil.
Bake for about 30 minutes until golden.

Kale stays crunchy, unlike spinach, which keeps the mix of textures in place. We sometimes make it with a meat sauce layer, like in the photo above.

--- title: "Kale lasagne" image: "featured.webp" tags: [vegetarian] --- ![](featured.webp) ## Bechamel ### Ingredients - 750ml whole milk - 1 bay leaf - 1 onion, roughly chopped - 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped - A few black peppercorns - 50g unsalted butter - 50g plain flour - 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard ### Directions - Heat the milk for the bechamel sauce with the bay leaf, onion, celery and peppercorns until just below simmering. Remove from the heat and set aside to infuse. - 15 mins or more later, strain keeping the milk. - Heat the butter for the b\'echamel sauce in a large saucepan. - Stir in the flour to form a smooth roux and cook gently for a minute or two. Remove from the heat. Add about a quarter of the hot milk and beat vigorously until smooth. - Repeat with the remaining milk, adding it in 2 or 3 lots, until you have a smooth sauce. Return to the heat and cook for a few minutes, stirring often, allowing it to bubble gently until thickened. - Stir in the mustard, then add some salt and pepper. ## Kale lasagne filling ### Ingredients - 300g curly kale - 30g butter - 500g mushrooms, sliced - 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped - A few sprigs of thyme, leaves only, chopped - 175g lasagne sheets (fresh is best, but dried is fine) - 20g Parmesan, grated ### Directions - Roughly shred the kale or cavolo nero. - Put into a large saucepan and just cover with cold water. Add salt. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes, until just tender. Drain well and set aside. - Heat half the butter in a large, wide frying pan over a medium heat. - Add half the mushrooms and some salt and pepper. Increase the heat and fry, stirring often, for 5-10 minutes, until the liquid released by the mushrooms has evaporated and they are starting to reduce, concentrate and caramelise. - Stir in half the garlic and half the thyme, cook for a minute longer, then remove to a bowl. - Repeat to cook the remaining mushrooms and set aside. ## Final directions - Preheat the oven to 180 celsius. - Stir about half of the bechamel sauce into the kale; put to one side. - Spread half the remaining bechamel over the bottom of a 28 x 22cm (or thereabouts) ovenproof dish. - Layer a third of the lasagne sheets in the dish, then spoon the kale over the top. Add another layer of lasagne, then the mushrooms. - Finish with a final layer of pasta and the remaining bechamel. Scatter over the cheese and add a trickle of oil. - Bake for about 30 minutes until golden. Kale stays crunchy, unlike spinach, which keeps the mix of textures in place. We sometimes make it with a meat sauce layer, like in the photo above.