Olivia says: “I’ve been at it again, combining some favourite childhood dishes of mine. I always loved my mum’s shepherd’s pie, but I also loved the topping and the aubergine in moussaka… so why not combine the two and throw in some bolognese sauce as well? I always keep some home-made bolognese in the freezer, as it’s just so handy for dishes such as this.”

Ingredients

olive oil, for drizzling
2 aubergines, cut into 1cm thick rounds
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce (optional)
150g frozen peas
20g finely grated parmesan cheese (optional)
rocket leaves, to serve (optional)

For the white sauce:

375g trimmed cauliflower, coarsely chopped, including the stem
1½ tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil (or a combination)
½ onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed or finely chopped
150g silken tofu, or 400g tin cannellini beans, drained well
¼ teaspoon ground white or black pepper
25g finely grated parmesan, pecorino or provolone cheese (optional)

For the bolognese sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil
250g minced lamb
4 anchovy fillets (optional), finely chopped
250g mushrooms, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 carrot, scrubbed, then coarsely grated
100g sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
400ml roasted tomato passata or store-bought tomato passata (puréed tomatoes)
100g dried puy or French-style lentils
500ml stock of your choice

Method

To make the white sauce, process the cauliflower in a food processor until finely chopped. Alternatively, you can finely chop it using a sharp knife. Transfer to a saucepan with 250ml water, season well with sea salt, cover with a lid and place over medium heat. Cook for 15–20 minutes, or until very tender, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small frying pan over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic for 6–8 minutes, or until golden and softened. Season with more salt, then transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor.

Drain the cauliflower through a fine sieve set over a bowl to collect the liquid.

Transfer the cauliflower and 60ml of the cooking liquid to the blender.

Add the tofu, pepper and cheese, if using, and blend until very smooth. Season to taste with salt.

To make the bolognese, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large deep frying pan or shallow saucepan over high heat; if using minced lamb, there is no need to add any oil. Cook the minced meat for 3 minutes, or until browned. Transfer to a bowl, then drain off and discard any excess liquid.

Reduce the heat to medium–high and heat the remaining oil in the pan.

Add the anchovies, if using. Add the mushrooms, celery and carrot and cook for 3–5 minutes, stirring regularly, until starting to soften.

Return the meat to the pan, then stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and passata. Add the dried lentils, along with the stock.

Cover with a lid and bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 1 hour, or until the mixture has thickened, the meat has broken down and the vegetables are very tender.

Remove the lid. (If using tinned lentils, stir them in now.) Cook, uncovered, for a further 5 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened. Use as required.

Preheat the grill to high. Line a large baking tray with foil, drizzle with oil, then arrange half the aubergine slices on the baking tray, in a single layer. Drizzle the aubergine with oil and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Grill for 10 minutes, or until golden and tender. Remove and set aside, then repeat with the remaining aubergine.

Meanwhile, put the bolognese sauce in a saucepan. Stir in the cinnamon and the worcestershire sauce, if using, and gently warm through. Keep warm over medium–low heat.

Line the base of a greased 2–2.5 litre baking dish with half the aubergine. Stir the peas into the bolognese mixture, then transfer to the baking dish, evenly spreading out the mixture. Cover with the remaining aubergine slices, then the white sauce. Sprinkle the cheese over, if using.

Cook under the grill for 10 minutes, or until lightly golden on top. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes, then serve with rocket, if desired.

Top tips

If using dried lentils, take care not to season the bolognese with salt until after they are completely cooked, otherwise they will toughen up and will not soften.
If you’re not fond of aubergine, you could use 2 large potatoes instead. Cut them into slices 3mm thick and grill in the same way as the aubergine, but for only 6 minutes, or until tender.
For a gluten-free moussaka, omit the worcestershire sauce.
For a dairy-free meal, when making the white sauce, use olive oil instead of butter and omit the cheese, leaving it out of the moussaka as well.

From 3 Veg and Meat: Flip The Balance On Your Plate by Olivia Andrews (£17.99, Murdoch Books), out now

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