Chicken and pumpkin lasagne

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil over a high heat in a large frying pan. When pan is hot, add chicken and brown on each side.

Transfer to a large roasting dish or tray. Toss pumpkin pieces in olive oil and arrange on the tray with chicken. Season everything with salt and pepper and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until pumpkin is soft.

Set aside to cool slightly, then roughly mash the pumpkin and shred the chicken.

Add a splash of olive oil to the chicken pan, then add onion and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until soft. Add garlic and cook for another couple of minutes.

Pour in wine, then turn up the heat and let it bubble for 30 seconds. Add tomato paste, stock, tomatoes, herbs and balsamic.

Simmer gently for 20 minutes or until reduced to a thick sauce with still a bit of juice left. Add spinach and shredded chicken in the last 5 minutes of cooking. Season with salt and pepper.

Make cheesy white sauce. (see recipe below)

Grease a large baking dish. Spread a third of the tomato mixture on the bottom and add a third of the cheese sauce. Add a layer of lasagne sheets on top. Repeat layers until ingredients are used up, adding a layer of mashed pumpkin somewhere along the way and finishing with a layer of white sauce. Sprinkle with extra cheese.

Cover with foil, cut a couple of steam holes and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foiland grill until the top is golden brown and bubbling. If you can, rest the lasagne for about 10 minutes before you serve it to let the juices settle.

Melt butter with the flour in a large saucepan over a medium-low heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes (don’t let it brown).

Remove from heat and slowly add all the warmed milk in a thin stream, whisking as you go.

Return to heat and cook, stirring, until thickened. Stir through the cheese. Season to taste and remove from heat.