J – I love the idea of lasagne, but I usually need a nap after.
Except when I eat this one. Luke’s vegetarian lasagne is light, rich in flavor and definitely not nap-inducing. My experience with lasagne dates way back to college days, where we ate just about anything. Fortunately for my stomach, my palette has improved with experience.
I’ve had some pretty good lasagne’s since then. They all taste great, but always tend toward the heavy side. Either it’s the meat+cheese+pasta that overloads it. Or, there’s just plain too much pasta. Sometimes, even the sauce is too much. All tasty. Just too much. So, of course, I haven’t tried making a lasagne … ever.
Now’s my chance.
We decided to do this recipe a bit randomly. Picking alternatives to the standard holiday recipes isn’t always quick. But, this turned out to be an easy save. Luke’s dad needed a vegetarian dish for a holiday party.
Luke is very much in demand during the holidays. This was just one small “order” for 24 guests. The lasagne was going into large, heavy-foil baking pans. He heard from his dad, later, that the lasagne was the first to go.
We decided to do a “pretty one” for Be Mindful. Be Human. Of course.
What makes this lasagne work so well is the ratio and preparation of ingredients. It would be very easy to make a “heavy” veggie lasagne just by over-doing the pasta and cheese and having a too-dense tomato sauce.
Of course, it has mushrooms, green and yellow zucchini squash and eggplant. But, Luke par-cooks them individually. The result is a reduction of water-weight and not-overcooked ingredients.
This lasagne tastes great! It’s full of tomato-veggie-cheese flavors, but is light in texture. The pasta is evident, but plays a supporting role. I like that.
| Vegetarian Lasagne |
- 2 yellow onions small dice
- 1 red onion small dice
- 10 garlic cloves sliced thin
- 2 red bell peppers small dice
- 1 bunch oregano chiffonade
- ½ bunch thyme same
- ½ bottle (375ml) red wine
- 1 lb mushrooms sliced thin
- 2 large cans tomatoes chopped
- 1 large can tomato puree
- 1 small can tomato paste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Chile flakes to taste
- Tomato sauce
- 2 zucchini, sliced ¼ inch thick lengthwise
- 2 yellow squash, sliced ¼ inch thick lengthwise
- 1 eggplant, peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick in rounds
- 1 lemon, zested
- 9 no-boil lasagna sheets
- ½ lb mushrooms, sliced ¼ inch thick lengthwise
- 1 lb ricotta
- ½ lb parmesan cheese
- 1 lb shredded mozzarella
- 1 egg
- ½ bunch oregano, chiffonade
- Sweat all vegetables in large pot until soft
- Add garlic and herbs, deglaze pan with red wine
- Once red wine is almost gone, add tomato products.
- Reduce to a simmer for about 1 hour
- After the hour, if the sauce is to consistency, remove from heat. If you want a thicker sauce, continue simmering.
- Add salt, pepper and chile flake to taste
- Reserve.
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- After slicing squash, place on parchment on sheet pan and sprinkle with a little salt. Roast for about 20 minutes. You will see moisture from the squash. Remove from oven. Cool and pat dry.
- Saute mushrooms in a little oil on high until brown, stirring frequently.
- Add ricotta, egg, oregano and lemon zest in bowl. Mix and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- In casserole dish, ladle about 2 cups tomato sauce in the bottom of the dish.
- Cover with the first layer of the lasagna sheets,
- Add a thin layer of ricotta mixture
- Layer the zucchini and spread thin layer of ricotta
- Add a layer of mushrooms and a thin layer of mozzarella
- Layer the yellow squash and top with thin layer of mozzarella
- Cover with lasagna sheets
- Ladle tomato sauce on sheets to cover
- Place eggplant slices on top in a shingled layer
- Finish with mozzarella and salt and pepper
- Bake for about 1 hour, or until sides are golden brown
- Remove from over. Cool slightly and serve.
- Enjoy!
I did have seconds … and still didn’t need a nap.
Thanks, Luke, for a great lasagne recipe. We’ll be cooking this again.