LEEK, SAUSAGE & GRUYERE KINDA LASAGNE

Chop the leeks in half widthways, then slice each section in half lengthways. Place them into a baking dish, cut side up, and drizzle with a good glug of olive oil and a pinch of salt and black pepper. Roast for 15-20 minutes, until golden around the edges and soft all the way through.

Next, heat a good glug of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Use a sharp knife to slice down the side of each sausage and peel off its casing. Use your fingers to pull off small sections of the sausage meat and drop them in the oil, creating little uneven meatballs. Fry the sausage meat for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until glistening and golden and cooked all the way through. Use a slotted spoon to remove the sausage meat from the oil and into a bowl lined with kitchen towel, to soak up any excess grease, leaving all the fat behind in the pan.

Next, melt the butter in the same frying pan over a low-medium heat. Let it bubble and crackle, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter is covered with a layer of foam and the underneath has turned a golden brown. This will take 3–4 minutes. At this point, add the garlic and continue to cook for a further 2–3 minutes, still swirling occasionally, until the garlic is soft. You don’t want the butter to get too dark, so just keep an eye on it. Also, it will spit, so be careful.

Add the double cream, milk, a good grating of nutmeg, gruyere and a good pinch of salt and black pepper. Stir until the cheese has melted, not letting the pan come to a boil. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed; grating in extra nutmeg, if you think it needs it.

Layer the leeks, crispy sausage, lasagne sheets and cheesy sauce in a baking dish or shallow casserole pot. Grate a little extra gruyere over the top, then bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the pasta has cooked through and the top is golden and crisp (the pasta on the top of the lasagne will be crunchy, but the underneath should be soft and luscious – it's a gorgeous contrast). Serve with a zesty green salad on the side, if you like.