Chicken & Pumpkin Lasagne

Υλικά

olive oil for cooking

800g boneless and skinless chicken thighs

700g pumpkin, chopped into pieces salt and freshly cracked black pepper

1 large onion, finely chopped

5 cloves garlic, crushed

1 cup red wine

½ cup tomato paste

2 cups reduced-salt chicken stock

2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes in juice

1½ tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 cups chopped spinach

1 x 250g packet dry lasagne sheets

Sauce

3½ cups milk

100g butter

½ cup plain flour

1¾ cups freshly grated

Parmesan or cheddar cheese (or a mixture), plus extra for topping

Οδηγίες

Preheat the oven to 170°C fan-bake. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over a high heat in a large frying pan. When the pan is hot, add the chicken and brown on each side. Transfer to a large roasting dish or tray. Toss the pumpkin pieces in olive oil and arrange on the tray with the chicken. Season everything to taste with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender. Set aside to cool slightly, then roughly mash the pumpkin and shred the chicken. Add the cooking juices from the pan to the pumpkin. Add a splash of olive oil to the same pan you cooked the chicken in. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes. Pour in the wine, turn up the heat and let it bubble for 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste, stock, tomatoes, herbs and balsamic. Simmer gently for about 20 minutes, or until reduced to a nice thick sauce with a bit of juice still left. Add the spinach and shredded chicken with 5 minutes to go. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place the milk for the sauce in a microwave-proof jug (or in a saucepan on the stovetop) and gently warm. Melt the butter with the flour in a large saucepan over a medium-low heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes (don't let it brown). Remove from the heat and very slowly pour all the warmed milk in a thin stream, whisking constantly as you go. Return to the heat and cook, stirring, until thickened. Stir through the cheese. Season to taste and remove from the heat.

Grease a large baking dish. Place a layer of chicken sauce on the base of the baking dish, and add a layer of white sauce, then lasagne sheets (break up the sheets if you need to). Press the pumpkin mixture in an even layer on top. Repeat until the ingredients are used up,

finishing with a layer of white sauce. Sprinkle with extra cheese.

Cover with foil, cut a couple of steam holes, and bake for 45 minutes. Then remove the foil and grill until the top is golden brown and bubbling. Rest for about 10 minutes before serving, if you can, to let the juices settle. Serve with steamed seasonal greens or a salad.