Best Vegetarian Lasagna; as Voted by 2/3 Kids?!
I have made and created many vegetarian lasagnas in my lifetime; this one is my best work. Even though it got 2/3 votes from my kids and their friend, the 4 year old was sick and grumpy so he doesn't count, he would have gobbled this up on a regular day!
I don't follow exact measurements so this recipe is a very close approximation to what I did. Feeling your way through the kitchen is a great way to tap into your creative side and reach heights of meditation that aren't possible in the classical meditation style.
Add more of the stuff you love and less of the stuff you don't!
Bolded are the ingredients required.
Enjoy.
2 - Orange or Red Bell Peppers
3 - Zucchini, sliced 1/2" thick
1 - large Eggplant, halved and sliced into 1/2" thick strips
8 - Vine Tomatoes
1/2 Onion
2 - cloves of garlic
Lightly brush above veggies with oil salt and pepper (Grapeseed oil is what I use for roasting).
Preheat oven to 450F, place the above veggies on a cooking sheet and roast for ~15 mins, until desired state of roast is reached!
-Puree Eggplant and peppers in a blender until saucy, set aside.
-Set aside zucchini, tomatoes, onion and garlic.
Meanwhile, boil water use appropriate number of lasagna noodles for your dish to make 3 layers (12 in my case). Cook for 2 mins less that indicated on the packaging.
6-8 - Crimini Mushrooms (or 2 portabella) rustically chopped
1/2 -Onion
4 - large handfuls of spinach (fresh or frozen)
2 - cloves of fresh garlic smashed
Splash of white or red wine (optional)
Sautée mushrooms and onion in a small amount of oil or butter, season with salt and pepper to your liking, when browned add a splash of wine to deglaze the pan and reduce (~2-3mins). Remove mixture to a bowl; add spinach and garlic to the same pan and sautée until moisture is removed, place in bowl and set aside.
500 ml Cottage Cheese, add to spinach and garlic mixture, set aside.
Grated Mozzarella
Parmesean
Tomato Sauce:
6-8 - Roasted Tomatoes
1/2 - Roasted Onion
2 - Cloves roasted garlic
Puree in the blender, adding small amounts of veggie stock or water to thin, if needed, set aside.
Assembly:
Layer of noodles
Thin layer of Tomato sauce evenly spread
Layer of Zucchini
Layer of Mushroom mixture
Layer of noodles
Layer of Spinach/Cottage Cheese mixture
Layer of Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Layer of Noodles
Remaining Tomato Sauce
Cheese
Bake covered at 350F for 30-35 mins. Finish with 3-5 mins under broiler if needed. Sprinkle with parmesan to serve.