Book of Yum

Microwave fresh spinach with a little water for about two or three minutes and try to drain water. Then place in food processor and process until spinach is pureed.

Whisk together dry ingredients (brown rice flour through salt) and then add to the food processor with the spinach. Whir together and with processor running, add eggs one by one and finally drizzle in your olive oil.

When a ball of dough forms in your processor, remove and place in a piece of saran wrap, wrapping up into a nice ball. (You may need to use two pieces, placed to form a cross.) Let dough rest for about an hour and then remove one forth of the dough into a smaller ball.

Lay a piece of wax paper and then saran paper on your rolling surface. Sprinkle with lots of cornstarch and then place your dough ball on it. Sprinkle the ball of dough with more cornstarch and cover the dough with another large piece of saran wrap. Roll out dough as thinly as possible into a long strip of pasta and then cut into lasagna sheets. Peel off saran wrap to get sheets of pasta. You can use a sharp knife to separate the pasta from the saran wrap if it helps. (This is especially important if you roll it out on wax paper and not saran wrap.)

You can use immediately in lasagna or boil the pasta for a few minutes and then drain and use.

Mix the brown rice flour with 1/2 cup of cold milk. Heat the rest of the milk in a small sauce pan until steaming but do not boil. Add the milk/flour mixture to the steaming milk. Stirring constantly, raise the heat and heat the mixture until thick. Once it is thick, remove it from the heat and add the butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Have the b�chamel warm or at room temperature ready to assemble the lasagne. Whisk the sauce occasionally if it becomes stiff or thick.

Saute onion, garlic, and grated carrot in olive oil in a large dutch oven until it is soft. Add lentils, tomato, tomato paste, stock and seasoning and simmer for 20 minutes until thick and lovely. Taste and season as needed.

The dough does not need to be precooked before being assembled into the lasagne *but in my opinion it might be nice if it is boiled for a few minutes before baking*.

Method
Working Ahead:
The red lentil bolognese and the b�chamel sauce can be made up to three days ahead. The red lentil bolognese can also be frozen for up to one month. The pasta can be rolled out, cut and dried up to 24 hours before cooking. The assembled lasagne can wait at room temperature (20 degrees Celsius/68 degrees Fahrenheit) about 1 hour before baking. Do not refrigerate it before baking, as the topping of b�chamel and cheese will overcook by the time the center is hot.

Assembling the Ingredients:
Have all the sauces, rewarmed gently over a medium heat, and the pasta at hand. Have a large perforated skimmer and a large bowl of cold water next to the stove. Spread a double thickness of paper towels over a large counter space. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). Oil or butter a 3 quart (approx 3 litre) shallow baking dish.

Cooking the Pasta:
Bring the salted water to a boil. Drop about four pieces of pasta in the water at a time. Cook about 2 minutes. If you are using dried pasta, cook about 4 minutes, taste, and cook longer if necessary. The pasta will continue cooking during baking, so make sure it is only barely tender. Lift the lasagne from the water with a skimmer, drain, and then slip into the bowl of cold water to stop cooking. When cool, lift out and dry on the paper towels. Repeat until all the pasta is cooked.

Assembling the Lasagne:
*GF NOTE: Before assembly, pour plain water into the pan, enough to form a thin film of water over the bottom. A 9 x 13 inch or 25 x 33 cm pan required almost 1/2 cup (125 mL) of water.*
Spread a thin layer of b�chamel over the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange a layer of about four overlapping sheets of pasta over the b�chamel. Spread a thin layer of b�chamel (about 3 or 4 spoonfuls) over the pasta, and then an equally thin layer of the bolognese. Sprinkle with about 1&1/2 tablespoons of the b�chamel and about 1/3 cup of the cheese. Repeat the layers until all ingredients are used, finishing with b�chamel sauce and topping with a generous dusting of cheese and, if you like, extra cheese.

Baking and Serving the Lasagne:
*GF NOTE: Once the lasagne is assembled, pour a tablespoon or 15 mL of water into each corner of the dish. (I didn’t do this part-Sea)*
Cover the baking dish lightly with foil, taking care not to let it touch the top of the lasagne. Bake 40 minutes, or until almost heated through. Raise temperature to 375 and remove the foil and bake another 10 to 15 minutes. Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar and let the lasagne rest for about 10 minutes. Then serve. This is not a solid lasagne, but a moist one that slips a bit when it is cut and served.