Bacon & Vegetable Lasagne

Lasagne

Weight-loss Success by Weight Watchers Reimagined (WW), Published by Macmillan, RRP $39.99, Photography by WW International, Jeremy Simons & Mark Roper

This is an ideal family-friendly meal, packed full of veggies and layered with cheese and pasta – the kids will love it! You can meal prep up to step 3 a few days ahead and store covered in the fridge, then simply bake the lasagne, for a super-easy midweek meal.

Bacon and Vegetable Lasagne

SERVES 6 | PREP 30min | COOK 1hr 30min

Ingredients

  • 2 carrots, cut into 1 cm pieces
  • 2 zucchini, cut into 1 cm pieces
  • 2 brown onions, finely chopped
  • 1 eggplant, cut into 2 cm pieces
  • 5 mushrooms, sliced
  • 125 g short-cut bacon, fat trimmed, chopped
  • 900 g pumpkin, peeled, cut into 2 cm pieces
  • 2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs
  • 50 g pitted sliced kalamata olives
  • 300 g reduced-fat fresh ricotta cheese
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
  • 400 g can diced tomatoes
  • 6 (150 g) dried lasagne sheets
  • 3⁄4 cup (90 g) light grated tasty cheese

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 2 large baking trays with baking paper. Spread carrots, zucchini, onions, eggplant, mushrooms and bacon over 1 prepared tray. Spread pumpkin over the other prepared tray. Lightly spray vegetables with oil, sprinkle with dried herbs and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 40–50 minutes, turning halfway through, until vegetables are tender and lightly browned. Stir olives through the tray of mixed vegetables. Transfer pumpkin to a bowl, season with salt and pepper and mash until smooth.

2. Combine ricotta, garlic, parsley and chives in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Lightly spray a 2.5 litre (10 cup) capacity rectangular baking dish with oil. Spread 1⁄3 cup (80 g) of the tomatoes over the base of dish. Top with 2 lasagne sheets. Spread with one-third of the remaining tomatoes, one-third of the pumpkin and one-third of the mixed vegetable mixture. Repeat layers twice more with remaining lasagne sheets, tomatoes, pumpkin and vegetable mixture to make 3 layers in total. Dollop ricotta mixture over top and sprinkle with tasty cheese. Bake for 40 minutes or until pasta is tender when tested with the tip of a knife. Stand for 10 minutes before serving.