Roast Pumpkin, Spinach and Cauliflower Lasagne with Roasted Garlic Bechamel

The most creamy and delicious vegan, gluten free comfort food you will ever eat! Full of sweet, soft pumpkin, thick and creamy garlic sauce and fragrant sage leaves, this dish is a party for the tastebuds. You can choose to add chicken (or even chickpeas) as a protein source if you’re having it as a main meal, or you can leave that out if you’re having it as a side dish with another protein source. I have used chicken as I have been following the Autoimmune Paleo Protocol to manage my Graves’ Disease symptoms, but otherwise would love adding garlic chickpeas or something else.

Serves 4 as a main or 6 as a side

Ingredients:

¼ jap pumpkin (choose a bright orange one)

1 cauliflower

1 whole garlic bulb

4 tbsp olive oil

Salt and Pepper

1 chicken breast (optional) + 1 garlic clove

1 400mL can coconut milk (choose a brand without additives eg. Ayam)

1 heaped 1/3 cup nutritional yeast

1 ½ cups baby spinach leaves

Handful of sage leaves, torn

Extra 1/3 cup nutritional yeast

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius and line two large baking trays with baking paper.

2. Slice the pumpkin into 1cm thick slices and drizzle with half of the olive oil, toss to coat and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread evenly on a baking tray and place in the oven to roast for 30 minutes (turning half way through) or until soft and beginning to caramelise.

3. Cut the cauliflower into small florets and toss with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread evenly on a baking tray and then place the whole unpeeled garlic bulb on top. Place in the oven to roast with the pumpkin for 30 minutes (turning half way through) or until soft and golden.

4. If adding chicken to this dish, crush or finely dice the garlic and cut the chicken breast into small 1cm cubes. Heat olive oil in a heavy based frying pan on medium heat and add the garlic for 1 minute and then add the chicken and salt and pepper, stirring frequently until cooked through and beginning to brown a little. Set aside.

5. To make the creamy roasted garlic bechamel, place 2 cups (about half) of the roasted cauliflower into a blender/food processor. Slice off the top of the roasted garlic and squeeze it out of its skin and into the blender. Add the can of coconut milk, nutritional yeast and a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth and creamy.

6. To assemble the lasagne, use about a third of each ingredient per layer. Start with some baby spinach leaves on the bottom of the lasagne dish (I just use a 2.6 litre glass Pyrex dish). Then add a single layer of the pumpkin, one of the chicken, torn sage and cauliflower, then pour over one third of the bechamel sauce. Repeat the layers until all ingredients have been used, finishing with some bechamel and the extra nutritional yeast. Cook for 30 minutes until golden and bubbling.