Ludicrously Loaded Lasagna

This veggie loaded lasagne holds a special place in my heart- it's based on one of the dishes Mum and I cooked together for years. This recipe is the one my aunt and I served at her wake. That was a day I remember almost fondly- we saw so many loved ones- family and friends, and shared memories, smiles, and hugs. Enjoy with hasselback potatoes, or garlic bread, a (large) glass of wine, or  mulled cider, and excellent company.

To make this gluten free, swap the lasagne sheets with gluten free pasta sheets or thinly sliced courgette zucchini. For a vegan alternative, swap the butter, milk, and cheese for dairy free alternatives.

Ingredients
1 bell pepper (can be any colour- I used red) thinly sliced
1 courgette/ zucchini thinly sliced
1 parge yellow/ Spanish onion, thinly sliced
1 buld of garlic- peel, crush, and chop all the cloves
1 butternut squash, deseeded, roasted until soft, then skinned
350g/ 12oz good (crunchy/ aged) cheddar cheese, grated
600g passata/ 1 large tin crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp salt
3 cups milk (can be dairy or non-dairy)
3 tbsp all purpose flour
3 tbsp butter
300g / 10oz mince/grounds- I used Quorn brand mince here
4 sundried tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
200g/7oz mushrroms thinly sliced
salt, pepper, and herbs to taste (I used pink Himalayan salt, freshly cracked black pepper, fresh thyme and basil, and dried Italian herb blend seasoning)
4 tbsp Olive Oil
250g lasagne sheets
2 tomatoes thinky slied

Method
Preheat oven to 400°F/ 200°C
Halve and deseed the butternut squash, cover with olive oil (around 1/2 tbsp) and roast for 40 minutes
Thinly slice the bell pepper and onion, cover with 1tsbp olive oil, the balsamic vinegar, the smoked paprika, salt, and pepper to taste, and roast for around 30 minutes
In a large saucepan gently melt the butter and mix with the flour to form a roux, once formed, add milk to make a béchamel, then add cheese to make a cheese sauce. season with salt and pepper.
Fill another large saucepan 3/4 with water and bring to a rolling boil, add 1tsp olive oil, a pinch of salt, and the lasagne sheets (stir to help ensure they do not stick to each other).
In a large greased baking tray with high sides, we can bring to assemble our lasagene.
First, spread about 1tbsp passata/ crushed tomatoes on the bottom, then add 1 layer of lasagne sheets, top with garlic, courgette/ zucchini, mushrooms, and butternut squash, add the cheese sauce, then top with a layer of lasagne sheets. Add the pepper, grounds/mince, the sundried tomatoes, and the roast pepper and onion mixture, then top with passata/crushed tomatoes, add another layer of pasta, and top with the garlic, herbs, mushrooms, squash, and cheese sauce, then another layer of pasta, then a layer of mince, pepper, onion, and passata. repeat until you run out of ingredients. Top with the rest of the cheese sauce, making sure all corners of pasta are covered, cover with grated cheese (again make sure there are no bits of pasta sticking out as they'll be unpleasantly crispy when cooked!). Place your tomatoes on top and add any herbs/ seasoning you like. Bake at 200°C/ 400°F for 30-40 minutes.