Lasagna Primavera

This meatless recipe, Lasagna Primavera, leans on chopped carrots, zucchini and squash. It makes 6 Servings and takes about 90 minutes.

• Yield 6 Servings
• Ready in 90 minutes
• Prep 20 minutes
• Cook 70 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 3 medium zucchini (about 2 ½ to 3 cups finely chopped – mine were in 1/4-inch or less pieces)
• 2 cups squash (finely chopped – 1/4-inch or less pieces)
• 2 cups chopped broccoli
• 20 ounces chopped frozen spinach (thawed and drained well (or squeezed through a towel))
• 3 cups ricotta cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 16 ounces mozzarella (shredded (about 4 cups))
• 4-6 ounces Parmesan cheese (shredded (about 1 1/2 cups))
• 2 jars (24-ounces each) pasta sauce (or use 6 cups of homemade sauce)
• 12 no-boil lasagna noodles (I love the Barilla brand, or 12 regular lasagna noodles, boiled and drained)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine all the chopped vegetables (carrots, broccoli, zucchini, squash) with 1/2 teaspoon salt and steam briefly, for 2-3 minutes, to soften them just a bit (they’ll finish cooking in the oven after the lasagna is assembled).
3. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, spinach and salt. Mix well.
4. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan. Spoon about 3/4 cup sauce onto the bottom of the pan and spread around. It will be a thin layer. Cover with four no-boil lasagna noodles, overlapping slightly. Spoon in 1/3 of the lightly steamed vegetables evenly. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over the vegetables then sprinkle with 1/3 of the mozzarella and 1/4 of the Parmesan cheese. Pour 1/3 of the remaining sauce over the cheese, lightly spreading it to the edges. Repeat the layers (noodles, vegetables, ricotta, mozzarella/parm, sauce) two more times, ending with the last of the sauce. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese over the top.
5. Cover the lasagna with a sheet of lightly greased foil and place the 9X13-inch pan on a large baking sheet lined with foil (this is important since the lasagna will bubble and spit over the edge a bit as it bakes). Bake, covered, for 50 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes longer. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Give it a minute off the heat, then serve it while it is still hot.