Vegetarian beetroot lasagna with pistachios and mascarpone

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 large beetroot, raw
• 2 onions
• some olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 15 capers
• 2 small apples
• 250 g mascarpone
• 10 lasagna sheets
• 150 ml vegetable broth or miso broth
• e.g. roasted pistachios
• 1 mozzarella, approx. 125 g

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 15 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 45 minutes

Pre-cook the beetroot for about 45 minutes. The beetroot should be quite large; otherwise, use more. Pre-cooked beetroot will also work, but it won’t be as firm. Peel the onion and cut into rings. Fry the onion rings in olive oil until browned, then season with salt and add the capers. Peel the beetroot and cut into very thin strips. Cut the apples, peeled, into very thin strips. Preheat the oven to 190°C (fan). Layer everything in a baking dish as follows, covering the entire surface: beetroot – mascarpone – lasagna sheets – all apple slices – all onion rings – beetroot – salt and pepper – mascarpone – lasagna sheets – pour over the broth – mascarpone – pistachios (if they aren’t already pre-salted, add salt) – beetroot – lasagna sheets – mascarpone – beetroot. Tear the mozzarella into pieces, place it on top, and pour over a little olive oil. Mascarpone is difficult to spread, so it’s a good idea to coat the lasagna sheets completely with mascarpone before adding them. If you don’t do this properly, the pasta might dry out. Place the lasagna in a hot oven at 190°C (375°F) for 30 minutes. Notes: Don’t worry if the cheese turns brown and the beetroot turns black and red on top: the beetroot will then be crispy, similar to chips. That’s one of the great things about this recipe: Beetroot can be eaten cooked, raw, or crispy. The capers are the secret here; however, you can leave them out if you like. The pistachios can also be replaced with walnuts or almonds. The mascarpone can be replaced with (vegan-friendly) béchamel, if you like. If you can find a substitute for the mozzarella, the recipe becomes vegan.