Annie The garden is booming and I’m trying to cram as many veggies as I can into every meal. Thankfully, the nights are getting cooler and turning on the oven doesn’t make me cringe anymore. So, time for VEGGIE LASAGNA! My favorite lasagna varies with the season, but for this late-summer version, I used a hearty mix of eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, and dried mushrooms (they add extra umami!). I layered the sautéed veggies with a creamy ricotta cheese-herb mixture and fresh tomato marinara. SO. INSANELY. YUM!!
FIO Pointers
Whatever kind of lasagna we are making—veggie, Bolognese, creamy white, whatever—these are our secrets for maximum deliciousness.
Simplify the layers. Condense layers into 4or less components: the veggie and/or meat mixture, the ricotta mixture, the sauce, and the noodles. This will distinguish the layers clearly, making for pretty servings. Plus, it’ll help you avoid forgetting a layer of something while assembling it.
Plan ahead. Lasagna takes time, folks. Utilize its make-ahead convenience. Prep the components up to 1 day in advance and assemble the lasagna up to 2 hours before baking.
Grease the foil. Coat the underside of the foil with nonstick cooking spray to ensure it doesn’t take off the top of the lasagna when you uncover it.
Let it rest. The key to the cleanest cuts is a good rest time.
Ways to Customize Your Veggie Lasagna
Use in-season veggies. Later in the fall or winter, swap out the zucchini, eggplant, and bell peppers with a mixture of butternut squash and collards or Brussels sprouts. In spring, try asparagus, spinach, and peas.
Sauce change up. Swap out the marinara for your favorite white sauce.
Add a little meat. Cook up some pancetta, prosciutto, pepperoni, or Italian sausage and stir it into the ricotta mixture.
Head to the olive bar. Chop up some olives, pepperoncini, peppadew peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, or whatever other goodies look good where to you shop, then stir them into the ricotta mixture.
Summer Veggie Lasagna
Ingredients
- 4 small or 2 medium eggplant, chopped
- 2 small or 1 medium zucchini, chopped
- ½ to 1 oz. dried Portobello or porcini mushrooms
- 2 tsp. dried basil
- 2 tsp. dried oregano
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. crushed red pepper
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 1 salt salt
- ¼ to ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 large or 5 small bell peppers, chopped
- ½ of an onion, chopped
- 1 Tbsp. butter
- 1 15-oz. container whole milk ricotta cheese
- 2 cups shredded provolone, fontina, or mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup chopped fresh basil
- ½ cup grated Parmesan
- ½ cup crumbled feta
- 1 large egg
- 4 to 5 cups marinara sauce (find my easy recipe here)
- Desired dried or fresh lasagna noodles, prepped according to package directions
Instructions
- In a medium bowl sprinkle eggplant and zucchini with salt.Let stand 15 minutes; drain and pat dry. Place the dried mushrooms in a small bowl and add enough boiling water to cover; let stand to rehydrate 10 minutes; drain mushrooms and finely chop. Meanwhile, for spice mixture, combine dried basil, oregano, garlic powder, and black pepper, crushed red pepper, and salt.
- Heat ¼ cup olive oil in a large deep skillet. Add the onion; cook over high heat, stirring once or twice 3 to 5 minutes or until onion is browned on the edges and tender. Add zucchini, eggplant, and bell peppers. Continue cooking over high heat, stirring occasionally 12 to 15 minutes or until vegetables are browned and tender. Stir in butter and half of the spice mixture. Let cool.
- In a medium bowl combine the ricotta, fresh basil, 1 cup of the provolone, parmesan, feta, egg, and the remaining half of the spice mixture.
- Preheat oven to 325°F. To assemble, spread about 1 cup of the marinara on the bottom of a 3-qt. rectangular baking dish. Arrange lasagna noodles in dish to fit. Add a little more sauce over the noodles, then one-third of the vegetable mixture, then one-third of the ricotta mixture.Repeat layers two more times, then add one more noodle layer on top. Sprinkle noodles with the remaining provolone. Gently spoon the remaining marinara sauce over the cheese.
- Cover dish with foil and bake 1 hour. Remove foil and bake another 20 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned on top. For additional browning, broil 8 to 10 inches from the heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
