Grilled Vegetable And Tofu Lasagna With Pesto Recipes

GRILLED VEGETABLE AND TOFU "LASAGNA" WITH PESTO

Steps:

• Make the marinade: Heat oil, lemon zest, and garlic in a small saucepan until bubbling around the edges. Remove from heat, and let cool completely. Stir in lemon juice. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Make the pesto: Puree pine nuts and garlic in a food processor until a paste forms. Add basil, and pulse to combine. With machine running, pour in oil through feed tube until pureed. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat grill to medium. Assemble the "lasagna": Arrange tofu on a double layer of paper towels. Cover with another double layer of paper towels, then cover with a baking sheet. (Weigh it down with 2 cans or something else equally heavy.) Let stand for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, brush zucchini and squash slices with oil, and season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Grill, flipping occasionally, until softened and slightly charred, about 8 minutes. Remove from grill. Whisk marinade, and drizzle half of it generously over zucchini and squash slices.
• Repeat with tofu and remaining marinade, flipping occasionally, until nicely charred, about 3 minutes. Let cool slightly. Slice tofu horizontally into 1/8-inch-thick sheets (they will be layered, so don't worry if they fall apart).
• Lay 3 slices each of zucchini and squash on a platter to form a 6 1/2-by-8-inch rectangle. Spread 3 tablespoons pesto over tops. Cover with a layer of tofu, and season with salt and pepper. Top with a layer of tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Top with 6 large basil leaves. Repeat layering twice (zucchini and squash, pesto, tofu, tomatoes, basil). Serve cold or at room temperature.

VEGGIE PESTO LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the yellow squash and zucchini and cook, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes more. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce; bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Add salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar, if necessary.
• In a large bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, spinach, pesto and season with pepper.
• Grease the bottom and sides of your lasagna dish with butter. Spread a little of the tomato sauce on the bottom of the pan. Lay 4 noodles across the bottom of the baking dish, overlapping by 1/2-inch. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta and pesto mixture evenly on top. Sprinkle with about a 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Ladle about 1 cup of sauce on top. Repeat layering in the same order. Layer the top layer of noodles and drizzle with the remaining sauce, then sprinkle with the Parmesan and remaining mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake in the center of the oven until the sauce is bubbling around the edges, about 40 minutes. Uncover and bake 5 minutes more. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.