Walnut and Spinach Lasagne

Special thanks go to my brother, Paul Callanan, for this recipe. He suggests this will serve about 4 people and should be served with salad and garlic bread or warmed french bread.

For the White Sauce:

2oz Margarine or similar
2oz Plain Flour
1 Pint Milk
2 tsp Mustard
Nutmeg
Salt

For the Filling:
8oz/250g Spinach
1 Red Onion
1lb/500g Low Fat Cottage Cheese
1 small red pepper
3-4oz/100g walnuts (optional)
Lasagne Pasta Sheets
2oz/50g grated cheese
1tsp olive oil

To make the white sauce melt the marg in a pan then add the flour stirring constantly until a stiff paste (roux) forms. Slowly add the milk, stirring all the time with a spoon or hand whisk, keeping the mixture smooth and lump free. When all the milk is added add the salt and allow to boil for a few minutes stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and add the mustard a few good pinches of nutmeg and some pepper. Whisk these in to avoid getting lumps. Put the sauce to one side while you make the filling.

Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion and pepper for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the raw spinach, all at once if the pan is large enough or in handfuls and allowing it to wilt before introducing the next handful. When all the spinach has been included add the nuts and cottage cheese and cook for a few minutes. Remove from heat.
How you put the lasagne together really depends on the size and shape of your dish. I like to have one layer of filling at the bottom, completely covered with lasagne sheets. Then another layer of filling mixed with a little white sauce, covered with another layer of pasta. Finally a layer of sauce topped with the grated cheese and a few pinches of paprika for colour.
Place the lasagne into a preheated oven on Gas Mark 6 for about 20 minutes.

This recipe was an experiment based on a dish I saw made once about 5 years ago so change the ingredients around to suit your personal tastes.