What could be more Italian than a dish of lasagne in the colours of the Italian flag? It is sure to be a success when served for Sunday lunch. This easy-to-make recipe lends itself to multiple variations on the theme: it can be red or white, that is to say, made with or without tomato sauce. However, you decide to make it, this incomparable dish is sure to be a hit.

Whether you prefer vegetables or meat, it is not hard to find a lasagne recipe to suit you, this being a first course that offers plenty of scope for experimenting original versions.

The Recipe:

First of all, read the instructions on the packet of pasta you are going to use for your three layer lasagne and then get on with preparing the other ingredients which make this dish so special. Cook the fresh spinach – after washing it carefully – by tossing it straight into a pan with garlic and extra virgin olive oil. When ready, leave the spinach to cool and place it in a bowl with the fresh ricotta, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg and blend vigorously.

Peel, wash and dice the carrots, onion, courgettes and broccoli; start by gently frying the onion, and then add the carrot, courgettes and finally the broccoli. Let the vegetables cook for ten minutes over a gentle heat with the pan lid on and season with salt and pepper. While these ingredients cool, made the walnut pesto by blending the walnuts, parmesan, salt, extra virgin olive oil (to taste) and a sprig of fresh marjoram in a food processor.

Now you can start to assemble your lasagne: grease the bottom of the oven dish with a knob of butter, pour in a layer of béchamel sauce together with some of the vegetables you have previously cooked. Now top with the first layer of pasta and a layer of ricotta and spinach, followed by more vegetables and finally some of the walnut pesto. Top each layer with a sprinkling of parmesan, a little béchamel and some Negroni Cooked Ham cut into strips. Oven bake for 25 minutes at 200°.