I have a love / hate relationship with lasagna. I love all the gooey cheese and the layers of flavor, but I hate the thick tomato sauce that is commonly found in lasagna. So with the guide of a recipe from Marcela Valladolid from my favorite Food network show "The Kitchen" this is my take on vegetable lasagna!!!
First, start with making the homemade cherry tomato sauce. I made this the night before so all the flavors would have a chance to meld in the fridge overnight. You can make this sauce up to a week ahead of time. Just keep it in an airtight container in the fridge. (P.S. Keep any leftover sauce in the fridge for up to a week, it is delicious on plain ol' pasta also!!)
2 pounds cherry tomatoes
1 medium onion roughly chopped
10 cloves of garlic, unpeeled (about one small head of garlic)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Preheat oven to 350.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place all the tomatoes on the baking sheet (leave them whole). Then add the roughly chopped onion, the minced herbs and the unpeeled garlic cloves to the baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil over everything and toss to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft and the skin is blistering and the onions are tender.
Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Once the garlic is cool enough to touch gently squeeze one end to pop the garlic out of the skin. Then add all of the roasted ingredients to a food processor or a blender. Blend until smooth. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.
Now, let's get to the good stuff, the lasagna!!
9 cooked lasagna noddles
15 oz container of ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons of chopped fresh basil
3 medium or 2 large zucchini
3 medium or 2 large yellow squash
8oz sliced baby bella mushrooms
1/2 cup - 1 cup spinach (depending on how much spinach you want)
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper
1 cup mozzarella cheese
If you made the sauce ahead of time and it is in the fridge remove it and let it sit at room temperature for at least an hour before using it!
Preheat oven to 350.
Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.
Cut the zucchini and yellow squash into 1/2 inch thick discs. (If you have a food processor with a slicing attachment use it to make life easier!!)
Cook 9 lasagna noodles according to package directions, then drain and set aside (It may be a good idea to make 1 or 2 extra noodles in case one breaks during cooking or draining). While the lasagna is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat in a medium sized skillet. Once melted, add zucchini and yellow squash and cook until tender about 4 minutes. Then add in mushrooms and cook for 3 more minutes. Turn off heat and add spinach (Tip: one handful is approximately 1/2 cup and two handfuls is approximately one cup) and fold in until wilted, add salt and pepper. Set aside until ready for use.
If lasagna noodles are still hot or stuck together rinse under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Layer 3 lasagna noodles in the prepared pan (they may overlap, that's ok!), spread 1/3 of the ricotta cheese evenly over all the noodles, then top evenly with 1/3 of the the veggie mixture, evenly spread 1/3 of the sauce on top and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the chopped basil evenly over sauce. Repeat 2 more times (3 layers total, use all 9 noodles). After all the layers are done top with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes.
Remove from oven and turn broiler on high. Remove foil and place under broiler until cheese is brown and crisp about 4 minutes (make sure to it watch closely, it only takes a second to go from lightly brown to burnt!!!).
ENJOY!!!
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