Go Back
Print Recipe

Italian-Style Vegetable Lasagna

A hearty vegetable lasagna that is a year-round crowd-pleaser. Browning the mushrooms and sauteing the vegetables with herbs adds flavor and creates the appropriate flavor and consistency for the finished dish.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Servings: 6

Ingredients

To Prepare Vegetables

  • 5 TBSP olive oil divided
  • 8 oz cremini mushrooms sliced
  • 1 zuchinni thinly sliced crosswise into rounds
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 onion thinly sliced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper thinly sliced
  • 10 leaves of basil torn, divided
  • 1 TBSP oregano
  • 1 TBSP majarom
  • 1 pinch crushed red pepper
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 TBSP mama lils hot peppers* chopped (optional)
  • 1 small carrot grated
  • 6 large handfuls fresh spinach divided
  • 9 lasagna sheets
  • 3 cups tomato sauce homemade or jarred
  • 8 oz ricotta cheese I like Coach Farms goat milk ricotta, which is lighter and less fatty than traditional ricotta.
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese.)

Instructions

Prepare Vegetables

  • Heat 2 TBSP olive oil to medium heat in large sautee pan or cast iron skillet.
  • Add 1/2 sliced mushrooms and cook for ~3 minutes without stirring until mushrooms are browned on one side.
  • Turn mushrrooms and cook for another 3 minutes until browned.
  • Removed cooked mushrooms from pan. Add another 2 TBSP oil and remaining mushroom and cook for three minutes or until browned on both sides as described above.
  • Remove mushrooms from pan, season with salt and pepper, and wipe out pan with paper towel.
  • Return pan to heat and add remaining 1 TBSP of oil to pan.
  • Add onion, pepper and garlic to pan and sautee until softened, about 4 minutes.
  • Remove onion, pepper and garlic, place in a small bowl and set aside.
  • Add zuchinni to pan and sautee for ~3 minutes until softened.
  • Remove zuchinni from pan, add to pepper and onions and season mixture with oregano, marjoram, crushed red pepper, half of torn basil leaves, salt and pepper.

To Assemble Lasagna

  • Add 3/4 cup of tomato sauce to lightly oiled 13" lasagna pan and spread out to cover the bottom of the pan.
  • Place three lasagna sheets on top of sauce.
  • Top pasta sheets with cooked vegetables, 3 handfuls of raw spinach and carrot, and mama lils peppers (if using).
  • Place three more lasagna sheets on top of vegetable mixture and top with another 3/4 cup of tomato sauce.
  • Place ricotta on top of sauce covered noodles, making sure that ricotta is evenly distributed across all three lasagna sheets.
  • Add remaining three handfuls of raw spinach, season with salt and pepper, and top with remaining three lasagna sheets.
  • Top final layer of noodles with remaining 1 1/2 cups of tomato sauce and remaining torn basil leaves. Season top layer of pasta with salt and pepper and top with mozzerella.

To Bake

  • Place lasagna, tightly covered with foil, into 350 degree oven and cook for 40 minutes.
  • Remove foil from pan, return to oven, and cook for 15 minutes more.
  • Remove lasagna from oven and allow to set for 10-15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Notes

*Mama Lils Peppers are an amazing artisan product made in Seattle.