Three meat-free recipes for World Vegetarian Day

Top veggie meals can be mastered by finding the right balance of spices or packing in a generous helping of cheese

Lentil, pepper and spinach balti

Serves 4

300g basmati rice
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red pepper, diced
100g balti curry paste
400g can lentils, drained
400g can chopped tomatoes
260g spinach

Boil the rice according to pack instructions, then drain well. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion and pepper and fry for 4-5 minutes, until softened.

Stir in the balti paste, lentils and chopped tomatoes and bring to the boil. Simmer for 1 minute, then add the spinach and stir until wilted. Serve with the cooked rice.

Courgette, spinach and ricotta lasagne

Serves 6-8

55g butter
40g plain flour
750ml semi-skimmed milk
520g spinach, washed
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
½ tsp grated nutmeg
250g ricotta
1 tbsp olive oil
4 medium courgettes, coarsely grated
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
25g pack fresh basil, chopped
50g pecorino cheese, freshly grated
300g fresh lasagne sheets
50g toasted pine nuts

Preheat the oven to 200C. Melt 40g butter in a medium pan, add the flour and cook for a minute, then whisk in the milk. Bring to the boil, stirring, and simmer for 5 minutes, still stirring, to give a thin white sauce. Season well.

Heat the remaining butter in a pan, add the spinach and toss it in the melted butter. Cover the pan and cook until wilted. Boil the spinach quickly to reduce any liquid. Season and add the oregano and nutmeg. Cool and stir in the ricotta. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan, add the grated courgettes and cook for 5 minutes until golden. Add the garlic and cook for a minute then season well. Stir in the basil and half the pecorino. Season to taste.

Layer up the ingredients in a buttered ovenproof dish starting with a layer of white sauce, then lasagne, then spinach and courgette, then pine nuts. Continue until all the ingredients are used up finishing with white sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining pecorino and bake for about 40 to 45 minutes until golden and bubbling. Serve on warmed plates with a tomato and onion salad.

Pan-fried gnocchi with broccoli, hazelnuts and garlic

It’s worth browning off the cooked gnocchi, as the crisp texture turns this dish into something special.

Serves: 4

4 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 red chilli, thinly sliced
200g cherry tomatoes, halved
220g Tenderstem broccoli 
500g potato gnocchi
2 tbsp hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
1 lemon, zest
4 tbsp shaved gran moravia vegetarian cheese (or parmigiano reggiano) 

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large frying pan and gently sauté the garlic and chilli until golden – about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, then remove from the heat and set aside. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the broccoli and simmer for 1 minute, then scoop out, rinse in cold water, drain and roughly chop. Add the broccoli to the tomatoes.

Place the gnocchi in the boiling water; when they float to the top, after 2-3 minutes, scoop them out, then dry on kitchen paper. Reserve a cupful of the cooking water. Heat a second frying pan with 1 tbsp oil. Add the gnocchi and fry for 5 minutes, until golden on both sides. Reheat the sauce, add the gnocchi and gently mix together with the remaining 1 tbsp oil and a splash of the reserved cooking water. Sprinkle with the hazelnuts, lemon zest and cheese to serve.

For more vegetarian recipes, visit waitrose.com