Source: taste.com.au

This beef mince and pumpkin protein dinner bake ticks all the nutritious (and delicious) boxes for a midweek dinner. It’s a bowl of comfort that’s brimming with flavour. A lighter, brighter lasagne, this bake can also be made gluten free if you use gluten-free lasagne sheets.

Ingredients

• 750g butternut pumpkin, peeled, deseeded, cut into very thin slices
• Olive oil spray, to coat
• 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large brown onion, finely chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp dried oregano leaves
• 500g extra-lean beef mince
• 2 tbsp no-added-salt tomato paste
• 700g btl passata
• 400g can no-added-salt brown lentils, rinsed well, drained
• 2 (43g each) fresh lasagne sheets
• 60g baby spinach
• 40g finely grated vintage cheddar
• Extra baby spinach, to serve

Cheese sauce

• 350g cottage cheese
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast

Method

Step 1

Preheat oven to 200ºC/180ºC fan forced. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.

Step 2

Place pumpkin on the prepared tray and lightly spray with oil. Roast for 20 minutes or until just tender.



Step 3

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and carrot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and oregano. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until aromatic.

Step 4

Add beef and cook, breaking up any lumps with a wooden spoon, for 5 minutes or until browned. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in 500ml (2 cups) passata and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered and stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add lentils and simmer for 10 minutes or until thickened.

Step 5

Meanwhile, to make the cheese sauce, place cottage cheese, egg and nutritional yeast in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Season.

Step 6.

Lightly spray a 2L (8 cup) baking dish with oil. Spread 1/2 cup beef mixture over the base of the prepared dish and top with 1 lasagne sheet. Spread half of the remaining beef mixture over the lasagne sheet and top with the pumpkin slices. Spread over the cheese sauce, then top with the spinach. Repeat layering with the remaining beef mixture and remaining lasagne sheet. Spread the remaining passata evenly over the top, then sprinkle with cheddar

Step 7.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly.

Step 8.

Serve the lasagne topped with extra spinach.