Wild Mushroom and Spinach Lasagne Recipe

Ingredients

• 25g (1oz) dried porcini mushrooms
• 25g (1oz) butter
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1kg (2lb 4oz) mixed mushrooms
• 3tbsp dry white wine
• 300g (10oz) spinach, wilted and seasoned
• 150g (5oz) fresh lasagne sheets

for the béchamel sauce

• 75g (3oz) butter
• 75g (3oz) plain flour
• 700ml (1¼pt) whole milk
• 100g (4oz) Parmesan, plus extra for grating

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200 C, 180 C fan, 400 F, gas 6. For the sauce, melt butter in a pan; stir in flour. Cook for 1 min; turn heat down, slowly pour in milk while whisking. Cook, stirring, until you have a thick, smooth sauce. Remove from heat, stir in Parmesan and season. Put clingfilm on surface of sauce.

2. Soak porcinis in hot water for 15 mins; drain. Melt butter in a frying pan; cook garlic for 2 mins. Increase heat; throw in all mushrooms, mix, season, sauté for 5 mins. Add wine; allow the excess liquid to evaporate. When mushrooms have softened slightly, remove from heat, place in a sieve and drain off liquid.

3. In an ovenproof dish, make 2 layers of: mushrooms, then spinach, lasagne and sauce. Sprinkle top with Parmesan; bake in top third of oven for 20 mins. Remove from oven; rest for 10 mins before serving. You can make the sauce the day before and refrigerate, or freeze the made-up lasagne before cooking.