Mushroom and Lentil Moussaka

Serves 6 · Prep 35 mins · Cook 45 mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup puy or tiny blue-green lentils
• 1.2kg eggplants, cut into 5mm slices
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped
• 400g mushrooms finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped oregano
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 700ml tomato passata (puréed tomatoes)
• 50g butter
• 50g plain (all-purpose) flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 100g feta cheese, crumbled
• Flat-leaf parsley to serve

Method

1. Place the lentils in a saucepan with 2 cups of cold water. Bring to the boil and cook for 10 minutes, then drain.
2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to a high temp and line a large baking sheet with foil. Lightly brush the eggplant with oil, season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and bake until golden. Set aside.
3. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium–high heat. Cook the onion, garlic, mushrooms, oregano, parsley and cinnamon for about 8 minutes until the onion is soft. Stir in the passata and lentils, then season and set aside.
4. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, then gradually whisk in the milk. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens. Season to taste, then remove from the heat and whisk in the egg.
5. Turn the oven down to 180 degrees. Arrange a third of the eggplant slices over the base of a large baking dish and spread with half the mushroom and lentil sauce. Repeat with another third of the eggplant and the rest of the sauce, then finish with the remaining eggplant.
6. Pour the white sauce evenly over the top and scatter with the crumbled feta. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden and bubbling.
7. Rest for 10 minutes before cutting, then serve scattered with flat-leaf parsley.