Red, White, and Green Vegetable “Lasagne”
THIS COLORFUL CASSEROLE is reminiscent of lasagne, but it uses vegetables in place of pasta. It’s a great main dish for vegetarians and does double duty as a vegetable side dish that is reminiscent of a starch dish. While the recipe requires several steps, each element can be made ahead and then assembled at the last minute.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 12 as a side dish, 8 as a main course
Ingredients
Five-Onion Confit
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 425˚F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Have ready a large bowl filled halfway with ice water.
Step 2
In a large bowl, combine the beets, thyme, olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Spread the beet mixture on a baking sheet. Roast for 25 minutes, stirring once, or until the beets are tender.
Step 3
While the beets are roasting, remove the red stems from the reserved beet greens and discard. Blanch the leaves in the boiling water until they wilt and turn bright green, about 30 seconds. Transfer the greens to the bowl of ice water to cool. Drain the greens and squeeze them to remove any remaining moisture. Set aside.
Step 4
In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Slowly add the milk, whisking constantly. Add the cayenne, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a dash of black pepper. Cook until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat. Add the semihard and semisoft cheeses and continue whisking until the cheese is completely melted. Set aside.
Step 5
Remove the beets from the oven and set them aside. Reduce the oven heat to 375˚F. Butter a 9 × 13-inch baking dish.
Step 6
Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the bottom of the baking dish. Place half of the beets on top of the bread crumbs in one overlapping layer. Arrange half of the blue cheese in large chunks on top of the beets. Make a second layer with the remaining beets and blue cheese. Drizzle 1/4 cup of the cheese sauce on top. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Place the beet greens on top of the cheese sauce. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Layer the cauliflower, 1/4 cup cheese sauce, and then the onion confit. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and top with the remaining cheese sauce, spreading it to the edges of the dish and covering any exposed confit.
Step 7
Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes. Let the lasagne sit for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Step 8
Serve with a generous dollop of Green Bean Pesto.
Five-Onion Confit
Step 9
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, shallots, leek, garlic, vinegar, salt, pepper, and sugar and stir. Cook the onion mixture, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking for 15 minutes, or until the onions are soft and brown and reduced to about 1 cup.
