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Beef and pumpkin lasagne

Beef and pumpkin 'lasagne'

6
Points®
Total Time
2 hr 10 min
Prep
20 min
Cook
1 hr 50 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Moderate
Pumpkin replaces pasta in this ‘lasagne’ with a twist. Loaded with veggies for added fibre and smothered with a cheesy sauce for a tasty topping, it’s sure to satisfy hearty appetites.

Ingredients

Extra lean beef mince, raw

250 g

Turkey breast mince

250 g

Red onion

1 medium, finely chopped

Celery

2 stick(s), finely chopped

Carrot(s)

2 medium, finely chopped

Garlic

3 clove(s), crushed

Dried herbs

1 tbs, mixed variety

Dry red lentils

¼ cup(s), (50g)

Canned diced tomatoes

1 800g can

Beef stock cube

1 individual, (to make 400ml beef stock)

Butternut pumpkin

560 g, (buy 700g), peeled, cut into 3.5mm thin slices

Oil spray

2 x 3 second spray(s)

Plain flour

25 g

Skim milk

400 ml

Grated parmesan cheese

½ cup(s), (40g)

Ground nutmeg

½ tsp

Instructions

  1. Lightly spray a large, deep non-stick frying pan with oil and heat over high heat. Cook mince in 2 batches, stirring to break up lumps, until cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside. Reduce heat to medium. Lightly spray pan again with oil and cook onion, celery, carrot and garlic, stirring, for 10–15 minutes, until softened, adding a little water to pan to prevent vegetables sticking, if needed.
  2. Return minces to pan along with dried herbs, lentils, tomatoes and stock. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Meanwhile, to make white sauce, place flour in a large jug and gradually whisk in milk until smooth. Pour into a saucepan and cook, whisking over medium heat until sauce boils and thickens. Remove from heat, whisk in half the parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Stir in nutmeg and set aside.
  4. Preheat oven to 200°C. To assemble 'lasagne', spoon one–quarter of meat sauce over base of a 24 cm x 33 cm ovenproof dish, then cover with one quarter of pumpkin slices in a single layer. Repeat layers 3 more times with remaining meat sauce and pumpkin slices. Pour over white sauce and scatter over remaining parmesan. Bake for 45–50 minutes, until pumpkin is tender when tested with a small sharp knife and 'lasagne' is golden and bubbling. Stand for 10 minutes, then slice to serve.

Notes

TO REFRIGERATE: Cover cooked ‘lasagne’ in baking dish and store for up to 4 days. Microwave single portions until hot to serve. TO FREEZE: Cut ‘lasagne’ into single portions and freeze in separate reusable containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat as above.