SCAMORZA & COURGETTE LASAGNA

I absolutely love scamorza (a smoked cheese very similar to mozzarella) and had been wanting to try it as part of a main dish for a while. 

This courgette lasagna with a homemade béchamel sauce seemed the perfect opportunity to finally make that happen and the end result was a rather delicious, unusual, vegetarian friendly lasagna that I will most certainly make again!

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 medium courgettes, roughly chopped into chunky pieces (580g)
• squeeze lemon juice
• 11 lasagna sheets 
• 200g scamorza, torn
• 60g parmesan, grated
• salt + pepper

BECHAMEL SAUCE

• 80 g (6 tbsp) unsalted butter
• 80 g (2/3 cup) all purpose flour
• 800 ml (3 1/3 cups) whole milk
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• Pinch of nutmeg (optional)

METHOD

• Preheat the oven to 200C degrees + prep a 9inch baking tray.
• Set a large frying pan to a medium to high heat + add half the courgettes with 1 tbsp olive oil. 
• Season with salt + pepper. Fry for 5-6min or until golden on all sides + cooked. 
• Do the same with the 2nd batch. 
• Squeeze lemon juice over fried courgettes.
• To make the béchamel In heavy bottom saucepan melt the butter over low heat. 
• Sprinkle the flour on top; mix well with a wooden spoon.
• Cook, stirring frequently, for 30 seconds to 1 minute to make a light roux. 
• It will look like thick paste. 
• Do not burn.
• Take the pan off the heat. 
• Add 1/2 cup milk and whisk thoroughly to break up the lumps. 
• Keep whisking until the mixture looks creamy. 
• Slowly add the rest of the milk, whisking continuously as you pour. 
• Return the pan to the heat. 
• Adjust to medium-low. 
• Cook the sauce, whisking often, until it has thickened to the consistency of runny sour cream (it will thicken more as it cools). 
• This should take about 12 minutes or more depending on the size of your pan. 
• Season with salt to taste.
• When ready, the sauce should coat the back of a wooden spoon
• Now time to assemble!
• Add a few spoons of the béchamel to the tray to create a thin layer. 
• Then a layer of lasagna sheets followed by more béchamel sauce.
• Top with half the courgettes scattered on top and the scamorza + parmesan and then repeat again! 
• Finish with a layer of pasta on top, more of the béchamel sauce, some more scamorza and salt + pepper. 
• Place in the oven for 35mins or util the pasta is cooked. 
• Leave to sit for 5-10mins before serving!