Vegetarian lasagne.

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C . Wash the aubergine and courgettes thoroughly under running water. Pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel. Trim off the ends of the aubergine and courgettes, then slice them into rounds, 2 cm thick. You can also slice them lengthwise if you prefer. Place the sliced aubergine and courgettes in a large bowl. Drizzle the olive oil over them, making sure each slice is lightly coated. Season with salt. Toss gently to ensure even coating.
2. Arrange the slices in a single layer on a baking tray lined with parchment paper or lightly greased with olive oil. Place the baking tray in the preheated oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until the slices are tender and lightly golden brown, flipping them halfway through the cooking time for even browning. Once done, remove from the oven and let them cool before cutting in small pieces.
3. Instructions for the tomato sauce
4. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic to the pan and cook for an additional minute until fragrant, being careful not to burn it. Stir in the tomato paste then after a minute add the tomatoes and chopped sun-dried tomatoes. You can use a bit of the sun dried tomato oil for extra flavour.
5. Add the dried oregano to the sauce, along with salt and pepper to taste. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and let it gently simmer for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, to allow the flavours to meld together and the sauce to thicken.
6. If you prefer a smoother sauce, you can use an immersion blender or transfer the sauce to a blender and blend until smooth.
7. Mix the vegetables to the tomato sauce.
8. Instructions for the bechamel.
9. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Be careful not to let it brown. Once the butter is melted, add the all-purpose flour to the saucepan. Stir constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon to combine the flour with the butter. Cook this mixture, known as a roux, for about 2 minutes. This helps to cook out the raw flour taste.
10. Gradually pour in the milk, stirring constantly to incorporate it into the roux and prevent lumps from forming. You can add the milk a little at a time at first, whisking vigorously, and then pour in the rest once the mixture has smoothed out. Continue cooking the sauce over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens to your desired consistency. This usually takes about 5-7 minutes.
11. Once the sauce has thickened, add the cheddar cheese and remove the saucepan from the heat. Season the béchamel with salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg if desired.
12. Assemble.
13. Grease a baking dish with olive oil to prevent sticking. Spread a thin layer of tomato/vegetable mixture on the bottom of the baking dish. This helps prevent the lasagne sheets from sticking and adds flavour to the bottom layer. Place a layer of lasagne sheets over the this. If you're using oven-ready lasagne sheets, you can place them directly in the dish. If you're using regular lasagne sheets, you may need to boil them according to the package instructions before layering.
14. Spoon a layer of béchamel sauce over the vegetables, covering them evenly. Repeat the layers: lasagne sheets, tomato/vegetables sauce and béchamel sauce, until you've used up all of your ingredients or reached the top of the baking dish. The top has to finish with the bechamel sauce and sprinkled on top the parmesan cheese.
15. Bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes, or until the lasagne is golden brown.