♥︎Spicy Moroccan carrots

For ➍-➏
500 g carrots

marinade:

juice of ½ lemon (2 tbs)

3 large garlic cloves

¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

¼ cup fresh coriander, finely chopped

4 tb olive oil

1 ts honey

1 ts sweet paprika

½ ts hot paprika

½ ts ground cumin

½ ts salt

Peel carrots. Cut into 1.5cm slices. Cover with hot salted water. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 15m. Drain and steam.

Crush garlic with salt to a paste. Thoroughly mix all marinade ingredients in a bowl.

Add warm carrots to marinade. Toss gently to coat

Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 h, stirring occasionally.

Roast pumpkin soup with walnuts & herb oil

For ➏ 

1 kg pumpkin, such as kabocha 

400 g sweet potatoes, unpeeled 

15 cl olive oil 

5 g sage leaves 

1 red chilli, thinly sliced on an angle (10 g) 

1 leek, trimmed & cut into 2mm rounds (200 g) 

1 large onion, peeled & roughly chopped (240 g) 

10 g piece fresh ginger, peeled & julienned 

fine sea salt 

½ ts smoked paprika 

½ ts ground coriander 

2 small potatoes (200 g) 

60 g walnuts 

1½ tbs maple syrup 

10 g coriander leaves, finely chopped 

10 g parsley leaves, finely chopped 

1 ts finely grated lemon zest 

Heat the oven to 220° C (200° C fan)/425F/gas 7. Put the whole pumpkin and sweet potatoes on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and roast, turning once halfway, for an hour, until soft and golden. Remove and turn down the oven to 180° C (160° C fan)/350F/gas 4. Once they’re cool enough to handle, use a metal spoon to peel off the pumpkin and sweet potato skins, and to scoop out the pumpkin seeds. Meanwhile, put 80ml olive oil in a small saucepan on a medium heat, then add the sage leaves and fry for about 2 m, until deeply green. Use a slotted spoon to lift out the sage, transfer to a sheet of kitchen paper and leave to crisp up. Add the chilli to the hot oil, fry, stirring occasionally, for about 2 m, until deeply red, then transfer to the kitchen paper alongside the sage. 

Transfer the hot oil to a large saucepan on a medium heat, add the leek, onion, ginger and three teaspoons of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 m, until soft and translucent. Add the smoked paprika and ground coriander, cook for a minute, until fragrant, then add the cooked pumpkin and sweet potato flesh, and 1.6 litres of water. Peel and grate the potatoes on to a chopping board, then add to the soup before they discolour. Bring the soup to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 15 m. While the soup is cooking, make the nut brittle. Line a small baking tray with greaseproof paper, top with the walnuts, maple syrup and a quarter-teaspoon of salt, and toss to coat. Roast, stirring once halfway, for about 10 m, until toasted and golden brown, then remove, sprinkle the fried sage and chilli on top, toss to combine and leave to cool. 

Once the nut mix is cool, scrunch up the paper to crush the brittle into smaller pieces. Make the herb oil by combining the coriander, parsley, lemon zest, remaining 70 ml oil and a quarter-ts of salt in a small bowl. Once the soup has cooked, take off the heat and blitz with a stick or regular blender until smooth and velvety. Add a splash more water to loosen, if need be, then divide between six bowls. Scatter the maple walnut brittle on top and serve drizzled with the herb oil.

♥︎Fregola Sarda with shimeji in lemon & tarragon sauce

For ➋ 

150 g fregola Sarda

2 garlic cloves

200-300 g shimeiji (or torn oyster mushroom)*

½ lemon, grated zest & juice

handful tarragon, chopped

1 spring onion, sliced ​​

handful sunflower seeds

olive oil

mushrooms* (optional)

feta** (optional)

Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and cook the fregola sarda until al dente in 8 m. Drain and cool under cold running water. Crush the garlic. Tear the oyster mushrooms into strips and slice the mushrooms. Wash the lemon well and grate the zest. Squeeze the juice from the lemon. Finely chop the tarragon. Cut the spring onions into rings. Roast the sunflower seeds in a non-stick pan without fat on a medium heat. Remove from the pan when they start to colour.

Heat the olive oil in the pan and fry the mushrooms and oyster mushrooms until golden brown and crispy in 5-7 m. Then add the garlic and fry for 2 m. Deglaze the pan with the lemon juice and stir in the lemon zest and half of the tarragon.

Put the fregola sarda in a bowl and stir in the rest of the finely chopped tarragon and the extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. [

Spoon the fried mushrooms on top*]. Sprinkle the roasted sunflower seeds on top. [Crumble the feta over it**]. Finish with the spring onions.

*If wanted, replace some with sliced ​​mushrooms

**If wanted.

♥︎Smashed Asian cucumber salad

For ➍ 

2 seedless cucumbers (about 600 g) 

1 ts salt 

2½ ts sugar 

2 ts sesame oil 

3 ts light soy sauce 

1½ tbs rice vinegar 

2-4 cloves of garlic (finely chopped) 

1-2 ts chili oil (optional)* 

2 ts toasted sesame seeds 

a small handful of chopped coriander 

Wash the cucumbers and pat them dry with a clean towel. 

Make the salad dressing by combining the salt, sugar, sesame oil, light soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Stir until the sugar and salt are completely dissolved. Set aside. 

On a cutting board, lay a large knife flat against the cucumber, and smash it lightly with your other hand. The cucumber should crack open and smash into four sections. Repeat along its full length. Once the whole cucumber is completely open (usually into 4 long sectional pieces), cut it at a 45-degree angle into bite-sized pieces. 

In a large bowl, mix the cut cucumber with the prepared dressing, garlic and chili oil. Toss it well. 

Serve, garnished with sesame seeds and coriander. 

*If you prefer to omit the chili oil, heat up 1 tbs of oil in a pan and drizzle it over the cucumber. 

♥︎Fregola, cucumber & orange

For ➋ 

2 small cucumbers about 150 g* 

1 tbs caster sugar 

1 ts sea salt 

1 ts coriander seeds 

5 tbs white wine vinegar 

2 tbs dill, finely chopped

150 g fregola Sarda** 

2 tbs olive oil 

1 large orange

2 spring onions, finely chopped 

a handful of watercress 

To make the pickle, thinly slice 1 cucumber and put in a small mixing bowl. Mix the sugar, sea salt, coriander seeds, vinegar and dill and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Pour over the cucumber, cover and place somewhere cool for at least 1 hour. The cucumber will darken a little in colour and soften slightly, but should retain its crunch. 

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, salt it lightly, then tip in the fregola. Simmer for about 10 m, testing regularly for tenderness. Drain thoroughly, tip into a bowl then sprinkle a few drops of olive oil over it and toss to coat evenly. This will stop the beads sticking together as they cool. 

Peel the second cucumber, halve it lengthways and cut it into 1cm chunks. Peel the orange with a kitchen knife, taking care to remove the white pith, then cut into thin slices. Warm the oil in a shallow pan, add the raw cucumber pieces and continue to fry them gently. 

Add the spring onion to the pan with the drained fregola. Season with salt and black pepper. Fold the pickled cucumber and its liquid into the ingredients, add the watercress then stir briefly. 

Divide between plates and place the orange slices at its side. 

*When using larger cucumber, cut the slices in half. 

**Use Sardinian roasted fregola. Or plain pearl couscous

♥︎Spanakorizo ​​(Greek spinach rice).

For ➋

400 g spinach leaves (wild spinach)

150 g onions

20 g dill

4 tbs olive oil

120 g carnaroli rice

5 cl dry white wine

25 cl of water

1 lemon

salt & freshly ground black pepper

Check the spinach, wash it several times in plenty of water, drain and chop coarsely. Peel the onions and chop them finely. Remove the dill from the stems, set some tops aside and chop the rest finely.

Heat 2 tbs olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium to high heat. Fry the onions until translucent; stir regularly.

Add the rice and fry briefly. Deglaze with the wine. Reduce the wine almost completely.

Add the chopped spinach and let it shrink. Add 25 cl of water, add some salt and let it simmer without a lid for about 15 m (depending on the type of rice) over low heat, until the rice is al dente; stir occasionally.

The rice should be cooked, but not falling apart. 

Stir in the dill. Season with the finely grated zest of ½ lemon, 1-1½ tbs lemon juice, 1-2 tbs olive oil and black pepper. The rice should taste fresh and lemony.

Divide the spinach rice over two deep plates. If desired, drizzle some olive oil over it and grate over the zest of a few lemon wedges. Sprinkle the dill tops over it.

♥︎Kikerage & enoki with udon noodles

For ➋

25 g dried kikerage (black fungus)

1 tbs sunflower oil

1 tbs mirin

100-150 g udon noodles

100 g fresh enoki, without feet, in 2 portions

5 g plant butter

3 scallions, cut in rounds

2 garlic cloves, chopped or crushed

1 tbs furikake

Pour warm water over the kikerage and let it soak for 15 m to 1 h. Drain it, and use as a base to cook the udon. If necessary, add some water. Heat and dissolve 1 tbs miso in it. Cook the miso as directed.

Meanwhile, fry the kikerage for 5-7 m in 1 tbs sunflower oil. Add a dash of mirin and let evaporate. Set the kikerage aside in another container. Stew the onion and garlic for 2 m in the same pan, with a little oil.

In the meantime, cook the enoki with a few small lumps of plant butter in 2 packets 1 m in the microwave.

Mix the kikerage with the onion and garlic.

Let the udon drip. Place on plate. Mix the kikerage and onion over it. Sprinkle with furikake.

Place the enoki on the plate.  Serve.

Kikerage is an edible mushroom and is a popular condiment in Japanese ramen noodles. It is also commonly known as wood ear mushroom, black fungus, jelly ear, jew’s ear, and mu-er in Chinese. It is known for its nutritious value.The edible mushroom gets its name from resembling the shape of an ear. Kikurage has a smooth surface on both sides and is dark brown in colour. Raw wood ear mushrooms carry a light woody fragrance. Once cooked, the mushroom is gelatinous and easily absorbs the flavours in the dish. To rehydrate wood ear mushroom, soak the desired amount in cold water for 1 to 2 h. The wild mushrooms can expand 3-4 times in size. For faster results, soak the dried kikurage in warm water for 20 m. However, the mushrooms will not expand as much and will be less crunchy. Once rehydrated, store in the fridge and consume within 1-2 days.

Easy miso sauce for noodles

For ➍ 

1 heaping tbs white miso paste 

1 tbs plain peanut butter or Chinese sesame paste 

1 tbs toasted sesame oil 

½ tbs chili garlic sauce, adjust according to desired spice 

½ tb soy sauce 

1 ts dark soy sauce, optional for colour 

½ tbs maple syrup or other sweetener like mirin

½ tbs rice vinegar or distilled white vinegar 

1 ts minced garlic 

1 scallion chopped 

Mix everything together. Add to the boiled and drained noodles.

Easy pistou

For ➍

80 g pine nuts

40 g basil

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

10-12.5 cl olive oil

Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan until they are nicely browned. 

Set aside 12 basil leaves. 

Place the rest of the basil leaves, garlic and half the pine nuts in the bowl of the food processor and pulse a few times. While the machine is running, pour in as much oil as needed for a runny sauce in a trickle. Taste and season the pistou with salt and pepper.

♥︎Tray bake of giant beans with ratatouille vegetables & pistou

For ➍

2 cans giant white beans (400 g each), rinsed & drained

2 red onions, peeled, cut into 8 wedges each

2 red bell peppers, chopped

1 eggplant, in pieces

1 zucchini, in pieces

4 small tomatoes on the vine, each cut in 4 wedges

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 tbs rosemary needles, coarsely chopped

1 red chilli pepper, in rings

pinch chilli flakes

salt pepper

4 tbs olive oil

For the pistou*:

80 g pine nuts

40 g basil

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

10-12.5 cl olive oil

Preheat the oven to 200 °C.

Put the beans, all the vegetables, the garlic, rosemary, chilli pepper and chilli flakes, four tablespoons of olive oil, a good pinch of coarse salt and a pinch of pepper in a bowl and toss. Divide the mixture over two baking trays lined with parchment paper.

Slide the baking trays into the oven and roast for 45-60m, until the vegetables are tender and the beans are just a little crunchy. Switch the baking plates halfway through, so that they both receive the same amount of top and bottom heat.

For the pistou, toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan until they are nicely browned. Set aside 12 basil leaves. Place the rest of the basil leaves, garlic and half the pine nuts in the bowl of the food processor and pulse a few times. Then, while the machine is running, pour in as much oil as needed for a runny sauce in a trickle. Taste and season the pistou with salt and pepper.

Transfer the beans and vegetables to a serving platter. Sprinkle over the rest of the pine nuts and the reserved basil leaves. 

Serve the pistou separately.

*Pistou is the Provencal version of Italian pesto. It's basically the same sauce without Parmigiano.

♥︎Vegan tajine of sweet potato, fennel & olives

For ➍

4 tbs olive oil

3 fennel bulbs, each in 8 wedges & keep the greens

juice & pulp of 2 oranges

juice & pulp of 1 lemon

2 red onions, in half moons

3 garlic cloves, sliced

3-5 sprigs of thyme

25 cl boiling water

1-2 tbs harissa

750 g orange sweet potatoes, peeled & chopped

100 g  black olives

Heat the olive oil in a heavy casserole or tagine. Add the fennel pieces and a pinch of salt and fry the vegetables for 8-10 m. Use tongs to turn the pieces so that they brown on all sides. Remove the fennel pieces from the pan and keep apart.

Put the onion in the pan and let it fry for 2 to 3 m. Add the garlic and thyme and fry for 1 m.

Fill a measuring jug with 25 cl of boiling water and dissolve the harissa in it. Add the orange and lemon juice and, if desired, a pinch of salt and pour this broth into the pan with the onions.

Add the sweet potato pieces and the fried fennel, toss gently and bring to the boil. Put a lid on the pan and turn the heat to low. Let simmer gently for 15 m.

Remove the lid from the pan and add the olives. Carefully toss again and let everything simmer for another 15 m without a lid, or until the sweet potato is cooked through.

Finely chop the fennel greens and sprinkle over the tajine before serving.

*Serve this dish with a whole grain of your choice, such as whole grain couscous, pearl barley, buckwheat, whole grain rice or quinoa. The last three are gluten-free. 

**Serve with a green salad.

tip: Risottatura pasta

For ➋
100 g pasta
20 cl hot water or chicken broth
2 tbs olive oil

Heat 2 tbs oil in pan, fry pasta for 1 m.
Add hot water or chicken broth, cover and cook for 10 m. (Or let liquid evaporate, when stirring the pasta for 7 m).
If there is some liquid left in the pan, stir and let evaporate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSHIagz6f0Q

https://www.lacucinaitaliana.com/italian-food/hacks/pasta-risottata-an-alternative-cooking-method

Cauliflower steaks

For ➍ 

1 large cauliflower 

5 tbs olive oil 

¼ lemon + lemon zest, grated 

½ lime + lime zest, grated 

1 garlic clove 

pinch paprika powder s

alt to taste 

fresh coriander, chopped 

Mix the olive oil with the juice of the lemon and lime together with the crushed garlic clove. Set aside. Remove the leaves from around the cauliflower, leaving the stem intact. Cut the cauliflower into 4 slices about 2 cm thick. Work from the center, the core section will help hold it together. Brush the slices with the olive oil/lemon-lime mix and sprinkle both sides with paprika, salt and grated lemon and lime zest. Heat a griddle pan or barbecue and cook the slices for 6m on one side until grill marks appear. Turn the slices over and cook the other side for another 5 m. Place the cauliflower steaks on a baking tray and cover the tray with aluminum foil. Place the baking tray ± 25 m in the oven at 190°C.  

Serve the cauliflower steaks on a plate and sprinkle with some extra lemon juice and fresh coriander.  Serve if necessary. with grilled haloumi slices.

Snow peas with wasabi dressing & furikake

For ➍

wasabi dressing:

25 g wasabi paste

¾ tbs maple syrup

1½ tbs lemon juice

60 ml olive oil

salt

snow peas:

500 g snow peas

1 tbs vegetable oil

furikake:

2 tbs sesame seeds, toasted

1½ tbs nori flakes

½ tbs coriander seeds, toasted and lightly crushed

1 ts sea salt flakes

Heat a grill pan.

Mix all the ingredients for the furikake in a small bowl and set aside.

Take a bowl in which all the snow peas will fit. First mix in the ingredients for the wasabi dressing, with ½ ts salt. Set aside.

In another large bowl, mix the snow peas with 1tbs of oil until coated on all sides. Then grill them in 3 portions, each about 4 m long. Turn halfway through so they get spots on both sides.

Slide the grilled snow peas into the bowl with the dressing. Toss to spread the dressing, arrange on a platter and pour over the remaining dressing. Sprinkle half of the furikake over the peas and serve the rest in a small bowl.

Furikake is a seasoning that is popular in Japan as a topping for rice, vegetables and fish. The taste is savory and salty, with typical ingredients: dried fish, seaweed flakes, sesame seeds, sugar, salt and glutamate. Furikake is also often used on poké bowls. You can buy it in Asian supermarket or online spice shops.

Spinaci con funghi (Puglia spinach & mushrooms)

For ➍

4 tbs olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

300 g fresh mushrooms, sliced

250 g clean fresh spinach, roughly chopped

2 tbs balsamico

10 cl white wine

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion and garlic in the oil until they start to become tender. Add the mushrooms, and fry until they begin to shrink, about 3 to 4 m. Toss in the spinach, and fry, stirring constantly for a few m, or until spinach is wilted.

Add the vinegar, stirring constantly until it is absorbed, then stir in the white wine. Reduce heat to low, and simmer until the wine has almost completely absorbed.

Season with salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle with fresh parsley.  Serve hot. 

Fenneru no shiomomi ponzu (quick Japanese fennel salad)

For ➋ 

1 large fennel bulb

½ ts salt

ponzu or lemon juice

pepper (optional)

Cut the green parts off the fennel bulb.  Cut the bulb in half, then slice very thinly. Sprinkle with salt. Massage the slices firmly with your hand until they are softened.

You can store this in the refrigerator, well covered, for 3-4 days like this if you like. 

When using, drain off any excess moisture, and sprinkle with a little bit of lemon juice or ponzu and optionally, black pepper.

Serve as a salad or a side-dish.

*Serve with salmon sashimi.

Shiomomi, massaging vegetables with salt, can be used with 

shredded cabbage

thinly sliced daikon radish (mouli)

thinly sliced Japanese turnip (the small white kind), or larger Chinese turnip (Western turnip is a bit too woody)

thinly sliced celeriac

thinly sliced onion

cucumber, thinly slices or cut into chunks

cut up Chinese (napa) cabbage

cough outer leaves of cos or romaine lettuce

Just sprinkle a little salt on the vegetables, and scrunch them up well with your impeccably clean hands. Optionally add some dried chili pepper flakes for spiciness. You can eat the massaged vegetables immediately, or store it in the refrigerator for a few days. Shiomomi is closely related to instant pickles, but even easier since you are just relying on the inherent flavors of the vegetables you are using.

Indian spiced cauliflower

For ➍
2 tbs ghee*

2 ts chilli powder 

2 ts ground cumin 

2 ts ground coriander 

2 ts turmeric 

2 ts ground black pepper 

1 cauliflower, broken into small florets 

25 g tamarind paste (optional)** 

25 cl boiling water 

1 tbs vinegar 

salt 

Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and add the ghee (or oil if using). Add the spices and fry for 2-3 ms, or until fragrant. 

Add the cauliflower and stir to coat the florets with the spice mixture. 

Stir the tamarind paste (if using) into the boiling water. Add the tamarind-water mixture to the pan with the cauliflower and stir in the vinegar. Season to taste with salt. Bring the pan to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5-6 m, or until the cauliflower is tender. 

Serve as a vegan dish or as a side-dish for chicken curry, or braised chicken legs.

*Or use vegetable oil

**Or mix 15 g dates syrup with 5-10 cl lemon juice as substitute

Roasted celeriac with apple, hazelnut & ponzu/maple dressing

For ➍ 
½ celeriac

1 apple

50 g hazelnuts

50 g arugula

olive oil

pepper & salt

dressing:

1½ tbs maple syrup

½ lemon (organic)

2 tbs olive oil (extra virgin)

1½ tbs ponzu**

pepper

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Wash the skin of the celeriac well. Cover a baking tray with baking paper. Lay the celeriac flat. Pierce the celeriac all over with a knife or fork. Brush the celeriac with olive oil. Season with salt. Place in the oven for 1 h. Brush the celeriac every 15 m with the olive oil that has run off. 

Cut the apple into wedges. 

Remove the celeriac from the oven. Cut into slices and then into slightly smaller pieces. Arrange them in a baking dish along with the apple wedges. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with extra olive oil. Raise the oven to 220°C and place in the oven for another 20 m. Turn halfway through. Roughly chop the hazelnuts. Roast them briefly in a non-stick pan, or put them in the oven. 

Make the dressing. Wash and grate the zest of the lemon and squeeze the juice. Mix with the maple syrup, the extra virgin olive oil and the ponzu**. Season with pepper. 

Serve the baking dish with the hazelnuts, arugula and dressing sprinkled on top.

*Or use the complete celeriac

**Replace with soy sauce

Fen'neru miso (fennel miso with ginger)

For ➍

2 tbs vegetable oil

500 g fennel bulbs, finely sliced

1 carrot, in thin sticks

white of 2 leeks, in rings

2 potatoes, peeled, diced

2.5 cm piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

½ small green chilli peppers, sliced

1 small red chilli pepper, sliced

1 ts fennel seeds, crushed

salt

3 tbs red miso paste with barley

1.5 l dashi stock*

150 g watercress, chopped + extra for garnish

5 snow peas, halved

1 tbs lemon juice, freshly squeezed

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the fennel, carrot, leek and potatoes and fry the vegetables for a few minutes, until they are soft. Stir in the ginger, garlic, chillies, and fennel seeds. Season with salt and let everything cook on low heat for 10 m.

Dissolve the miso in 1.2 dl of boiling dashi stock.

Stir the miso mixture and remaining stock into the soup.

Let the soup simmer for 15-20 m, until the potatoes are soft. Add the watercress and snow peas. Boil gently for another 3 m.

Add the lemon juice to the soup.

Ladle the soup into bowls.

Garnish with additional watercress and serve the soup hot.

*Use chicken or mushroom stock

Mushroom lasagne

For ➏

750 g chestnut mushrooms, halved 

500 g oyster mushrooms 

13 cl olive oil, plus extra for greasing 

60 g dried porcini 

30 g dried wild mushrooms 

2 dried red chillies, roughly chopped, (remove the seeds for a less spicy result) 

50 cl hot vegetable stock 

1 onion, peeled, quartered 

5 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped 

1 carrot, scraped, quartered, 90 g 

2-3 roma tomatoes, quartered, 200 g 

75 g tomato paste 

13 cl whipped cream* 

60 g pecorino romano, finely grated* 

60 g Parmigiano, finely grated* 

5 g basil leaves, finely chopped 

10 g parsley leaves, finely chopped, plus 1 ts extra for dressing 

250 g dried lasagne sheets (approx. 14 sheets)** 

salt & black pepper

Heat the oven to 230 °C. 

Place the chestnut and oyster mushrooms in three or four batches in the large bowl of a food processor and chop finely using the pulse button (or chop by hand). In a large mixing bowl, toss the chopped mushrooms with 3 tbs oil and 1 ts salt and spread on a large, parchment-lined baking tray with a raised edge measuring 40 x 35 cm. Bake them in the top of the oven for 30 m, turning them three times in between until the mushrooms are golden brown; the volume will have shrunk considerably. Set them aside. Lower the oven temperature to 200 °C.

Meanwhile, in another mixing bowl, mix the dried mushrooms with chilies and hot stock and soak for 30 m. Strain the liquid into a third bowl and press as much moisture as possible out of the mushrooms, you will need about 34 cl in total; top up the soaking water with fresh water if necessary. Chop the soaked mushrooms very coarsely (so that there are also large pieces) and chop the chilies. Set aside the stock and mushrooms separately. 

Chop the onion, garlic and carrot in the food processor with the pulse button (or by hand). Heat 6 cl oil in a large sauté pan over medium to high heat. When hot, add the onion mixture and cook for 8 m, stirring occasionally, until cooked through and golden brown. 

Chop the tomatoes in the food processor with the pulse button (or chop them by hand), add them with the tomato paste, 1½  ts salt and 1¾ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper. Let everything simmer for 7 m, stirring occasionally. Add the soaked mushrooms, chilies and toasted mushrooms and let everything cook gently for 9 m, resist the urge to stir: the mushrooms should be slightly crispy and brown on the underside. 

Stir in the reserved stock and 80 cl water, turn the heat to medium-high when everything is simmering gently and let the sauce simmer for about 25 m, stirring occasionally until it has the consistency of ragout. Stir 10 cl of whipped cream into the sauce and let it simmer for 2 m more then take the pan off the heat. 

Mix the pecorino and Parmigino with basil and parsley in a small bowl. When assembling the lasagna, spread one-fifth of the sauce over the bottom of a round baking dish of 28 cm in diameter (or a rectangular dish of 30 x 20 cm), spread one-fifth of the cheese mixture on top, followed by a layer of lasagne sheets, broken where necessary to make them fit. Repeat these layers three times in the same order, finishing with a layer of sauce and cheese: a total of five layers of sauce and cheese, and four layers of pasta. 

Drizzle the top with 1 tbs of cream and 1 tbs of oil, cover the dish with aluminum foil and put it in the oven for 15 m. Remove the foil, increase the oven temperature to 220 ° C and bake the lasagna for another 12 m, turning the dish halfway through the baking time. Switch the oven to the grill setting and grill the lasagna for 2 m until the edge is brown and crispy. 

Put the bowl aside, let the lasagna cool for about 5 m, then drizzle the top with the remaining whipped cream and oil. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley, finally grind a generous twist of pepper and serve. 

*Discard for vegan version.

**Make it ahead of time and refrigerate it to serve it with pasta or polenta and save yourself the trouble of putting together a lasagna if you don't have much time. You can prepare the lasagna in advance, put it in the refrigerator and bake it the next day (after it has reached room temperature). 

This special ragout pays tribute to the penne all'Aconese,  served at Restaurante Pizzeria Acone, a community-run restaurant in the Tuscan town of Acone. The recipe is a carefully kept secret, but the complex, earthy and full umami flavor of dried porcini is not to be missed. This is Ottolenghi's meatless take on that mythical sauce.