It's the best thing since sliced bread

If I said something like "this is the only lasagna worth making" you probably wouldn't believe me.  And it wouldn't be true.  Because there are a handful, nay, a myriad of admirable lasagna recipes out there.  However, any worthy recipe I have ever created has taken hours, and been quite pricey ( think freshly hand made lasagna noodles at $7 a pound).

But if I were to say "this is the only quick, easy and healthy lasagna worth making" you'd have to at least give it a try.  Because it is pretty darn good.  And while it does take an hour in the oven, I only spent about 20 minutes putting it together.  And yes, it is cheesy (fresh mozzarella and ricotta...do you hear angels singing?) but it is not smothered or glistening with grease.  With crispy caramelized edges, you'll want first dibs on the edge pieces.  

Add to this the invent of handy dandy no-boil noodles (they are the best thing since sliced bread), you'll shave precious minutes and frustration from your preparation.  

Oh, and did I mention it's meatless?

Yeah baby.

Vegetable Lasagna

serves 8 (or more)

*before we get started, a few notes:  First up, here's a shocking time saver.  I don't peel carrots.  What is the point?  Unless you desire your carrots to be aesthetically pleasing.   Or if they are super grimy.  Otherwise scrub 'em up, chop 'em and throw them in the pan.  Secondly, I don't want to be a food snob (hey, in my defense I am using no-boil noodles and frozen spinach), but I really must strongly suggest using fresh cheese.  Spend a little bit more for a luscious ball of fresh mozzarella.   It tastes soooo much better than the pre-shredded bagged stuff and it melts and browns to a  crispy perfection. Good ricotta should be firm but not solid.  It is silky and wet but not sticky. Trust me, you will not be disappointed.  Lastly, I would suggest a healthy sprinkling of salt and pepper to each layer.

3 TBS extra virgin olive oil

2 medium carrots, finely chopped

1 medium zucchini, finely chopped

1 medium yellow summer squash, finely chopped

1 small broccoli head, finely chopped

1 pound no-boil lasagna sheets

1 recipe "best marinara ever"

2 10oz packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and wrung dry

2 1/2 cups fresh mozzarella, shredded

2 cups ricotta cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large saute pan over medium heat, add extra virgin olive oil.  When very hot, almost smoking, add the onion and carrots and cook until soft, 5 minutes.  Add the broccoli, cook 3 minutes.  Add zucchini and squash and cook for another 5 minutes.  Remove from heat when veggies are completely cooked, but still have a nice crunch. 

   

Spray a 2 quart 9x13 inch baking dish with olive oil and spread 1 cup of marinara sauce in bottom of dish. Alternate layering noodles, spinach, veggies, ricotta cheese  and sauce, ending with a layer of sauce on top.

Sprinkle the dish with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until cheese is browned and bubbly.  

 

ENJOY!