For some people lasagne will always involve some minced meat and that’s fine. In our house we normally use a meat substitute with the kids, but obviously you can ring the changes with different vegetables (mushroom/spinach springs to mind) but this recipe is useful because it substitutes lentils for the meat.

It tastes different, but in many ways, for many vegetarians it’s a benefit to avoid meat substitutes.

Prep 15 min
Cook 40 min
Serves 6

400g tomato passata
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 good pinch dried chilli
1 x 400g tin/packet cooked puy lentils
50g black olives, stoned and chopped
2 tbsp capers
Zest of 1 lemon
1 large handful basil leaves
250g  lasagne sheets
2 x 125g balls mozzarella

Heat the oven to 200C/390F/gas 6.

In a large bowl or jug, mix the passata with the oil, half a teaspoon of salt, garlic, chilli, lentils, olives, capers and lemon zest. Tear in half the basil leaves.

Spoon a quarter of the sauce into an ovenproof dish roughly 20cm x 30cm, tear over a third of one of the balls of mozzarella, then cover with pasta sheets. Repeat for another two layers.

Finish with a final layer of sauce, then tear over the second ball of mozzarella, sprinkle with salt and pepper and the remaining basil, and drizzle with a little more olive oil.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the mozzarella is deeply golden. Serve with a sharply dressed salad (I mix it with lemon, cider vinegar, mustard and extra-virgin olive oil, and toss through a bowl of green leaves).