Creamy Courgette Gratin With Lentil Marinara

Yield: 2-3

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Courgette Gratin With Lentil Tomato Sauce

Prep time: 15 HourCook time: 25 HourTotal time: 40 Hour

This dish is full of layers and is so simple to put together. Hearty and rich lentil marinara sits below sliced courgettes before a delicious cream is drizzled on top. It's baked to perfection and I've added an optional garlic breadcrumb sprinkle to finish it all off.

Ingredients

• 1 large courgette or 2 small ones
• 1 jar (400 g) cooked lentils

Marinara:

• 20 g olive oil
• 1 large shallot
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• ½ tbsp bouillon powder or ½ a stock cube
• 1 tin (400 g) chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 sun-dried tomatoes (optional)
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp mixed Italian dried herbs (basil, thyme, oregano, marjoram)

Cashew Cream:

• 70 g cashews
• 150 ml soy milk
• 2 tsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp miso
• Juice of ½ a lemon
• ⅓ tsp garlic powder

Optional Crispy Topping:

• ½ tbsp Aleppo chilli flakes
• ½ tbsp crispy fried garlic
• ½ tbsp breadcrumbs

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C fan.
2. Finely chop the shallot and mince the garlic. Roughly chop the sun-dried tomatoes. Heat a good drizzle of olive oil in a pan over medium heat, then add the shallot. Cook for 3-5 minutes until translucent, then add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, and mixed herbs. Drain the lentils and add them to the pan along with 2-3 tbsp of water. Simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, add all the ingredients for the cashew cream to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. (If you don’t have a high-speed blender, soak the cashews in boiling water for at least 20 minutes to soften them.)
5. Finely slice the courgette into very thin rounds.
6. Pour the lentil and tomato marinara into a medium-sized baking dish (a round dish about the size of a dinner plate works well). Layer the sliced courgette over the lentils, then gently pour over the cashew cream.
7. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and sprinkle over the crispy topping ingredients along with a little drizzle of olive oil. Return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes, until the courgette is cooked and the sauce is bubbling and starting to brown.
8. Finish with some lemon zest before serving.