mushroom and spinach lasagna with tofu bechamel sauce and sundried tomato pesto

One of the last things I made before we left Perth was a mushroom and spinach lasagna with a tofu bechamel sauce. I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out, but I really liked it.



mushroom and spinach lasagna with tofu bechamel sauce and sundried tomato pesto

I used a sundried tomato pesto for this, because I had sundried tomatoes on hand, and I like the stronger taste. A basil pesto would also work.

ingredients
large handful or two of mushrooms
one bushel spinach
five tomatoes
one red onion
three cloves garlic
lasagna sheets to make three layers (I use san remo, I find I need six sheets to fill my tray)
one square tofu
1 half tsp nutritional yeast (heaped)
1 half cup soy milk
1 half tsp chili flakes
oregano
marjoram
olive oil
1 cup sundried tomatoes
quarter cup pine nuts

method
In a lot of olive oil, heat some marjoram and oregano. Dice the onion, and fry in olive oil over low heat for eight or nine minutes, until they are quite soft. Dice two cloves of the garlic, and add to heat, fry for a few more minutes. Add the tomato (diced) and all the juice, fry on high for a few minutes then reduce and simmer, covered, for twenty minutes, or until the tomatoes have reduced to a mushy sauce.

In the meantime, slice and fry the mushrooms in olive oil or a vegan margarine. Set aside.

Pound together the sundried tomatoes, pine nuts, and remaining garlic, and drizzle olive oil through as required. As an alternative, the oil in which the sundried tomatoes sat could be used.

In a blender, mix together soy milk, nutritional yeast, chili flakes, and tofu, and some pepper if required.

In a square dish, about 25 x 25 cm, spread a thin layer of tomato mixture. Cover with lasagna sheets, then cover lasagna sheets with half of the pesto. Place mushrooms onto this layer. Drizzle with some of the tomato sauce mixture, then cover with lasagna sheets. Repeat with pesto, spinach, tomato sauce and final lasagna sheets. Spread across remaining tomato mixture, and cover completely with tofu sauce.

Bake in oven at 200C for about 40 minutes, or until lasagna sheets are easy to slice through.