The arrival of autumn here and the garden still bursting with basil made this the perfect combination.
Cut butternut pumpkin (squash) into pieces and toss them in a bowl with some olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Fry over low heat until they have some colour and are just soft then set them aside. In the same pan add a little more oil and fry 2 sliced onions and 1-4 sliced fresh chillies (optional) until the onions are soft and translucent. Pick and wash approximately 2 cups of fresh basil leaves and set aside. In a small saucepan melt 2 tablespoons of butter and add 2 tablespoons of plain flour. Cook for a few minutes then, while whisking, slowly add 2 cups of milk. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper and cook until thickened. In a wide saucepan bring some water to boil and pre-cook the lasagna sheets. This will be necessary even if you have instant lasagne sheets as the ingredients for this lasagna are not wet enough to cook them well. To assemble the lasagna first drizzle some olive oil into the lasagna pan and cover the bottom with a layer of lasagna sheets. Spread half of the butternut pieces over this, half the basil leaves and half of the onions then cover with one third of the white sauce. Repeat the process again then top with a final layer of lasagna sheets and the rest of the sauce. Sprinkle with ¼ – ½ a cup of grated parmesan and bake in a moderate oven until golden.
michelle picker cooks 