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Vegetarian chickpea lasagna Bolognese

Hearty lasagna made with a vegetarian bolognese sauce, based on tomatoes and chickpeas. Layered with classic béchamel sauce and pasta.
Prep 30 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 4

Ingredients 
US | M

Chickpea bolognese
  • 1 cup cooked chickpeas
  • 14 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes
  • 1 bunch parsley or basil or both
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt more to taste
Bechamel
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 2/3 cups milk
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • freshly ground black pepper
For the lasagna
  • 10 uncooked pasta sheets
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoons freshly ground Parmesan
  • 3.5 oz aged low moisture mozzarella
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 395°F (200°C). Add a glug of oil to your baking dish to coat the bottom and set it aside. Bring a large pot of very salted water to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and leave it like that.
  • Make the chickpea bolognese: In a blender combine the tomatoes, chickpeas and parsley (and basil, if using). Pulse until the chickpeas are crushed and crumbly, but not completely mashed. You want the sauce to have texture.
  • Warm a skillet over medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil, oregano and paprika. Cook for about 30 seconds or until fragrant, lower the heat to low and add the tomato chickpea mixture. Whisk in sugar, salt and nutmeg and bring to a simmer. Taste and season with more salt if it's bland and more sugar if it's too acidic for your taste. Let it on a low simmer as you do the rest.
  • Make the béchamel: Warm milk in your microwave or over the stove and set it aside, you need it very warm. In a small saucepan melt the butter. Immediately add the flour and whisk until you get a smooth paste. Slowly add the warm milk, stirring constantly.
  • Keep stirring and cook the sauce for about 5 minutes, until it thickens but is still spreadable. Season it with salt, nutmeg and few grinds of black pepper. Remove from heat.
Assemble lasagna
  • Put pasta sheets into the pot with hot water for at least 60 seconds. This will soften them and make them easier to handle.
  • Add a few tablespoons of chickpea sauce to the bottom of the baking dish. Add a layer of pasta sheets. Top with an even layer of bolognese (don't make it too thick, just enough that it covers the pasta). Continue with the bechamel sauce - drizzle it all over and gently spread it around, just enough to mostly cover the area. Cover with a single layer of pasta sheets, then repeat the process as many times as needed until you get to the last layer of pasta and little sauce.
  • Add the remaining sauces on top, covering all of the pasta in a thin layer. Sprinkle Parmesan all over and bake lasagna for 20 minutes.
  • Remove lasagna from the oven and add the mozzarella and a sprinkle of parsley. Bake for another 10 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted and bubbly.
  • Allow the lasagna to sit for about 10-15 minutes before serving. If waiting for longer, cover it with aluminum foil. Keep leftover lasagna covered in the refrigerator and eat with 2 days.

Notes

I use pasta sheets that do not need to be cooked prior to using. But I still prefer to soak them in hot water for up to a minute, just to soften them up and make the pasta easier to handle and fold if necessary.
The béchamel thickens as it cooks and once it’s cooked it’ll keep on thickening. If you notice it’s gotten too thick while you’re assembling your lasagna, thin it out with a tablespoon (or more) of really warm milk. 
This individual lasagnas in the photos only have a few layers. I use exactly 5 pasta sheets per pan, 2 on the bottom and then 1 1/2 for the second and third layer. If you want more pasta you can easily add more, you can also make more layers. If making a bigger lasagna, double the ingredients for the bolognese and béchamel and know that the baking time will be longer.
To test if the pasta is cooked, use a cake tester or sharp thin knife and pierce the lasagna all to the bottom of the pan. If the knife slides in, all the sheets are cooked. If they’re still raw, you’ll know immediately as you'll feel the resistance of trying to slide a tester in.