Hearty Veggie Lasagna Recipes

HEARTY VEGGIE LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray the inside of a 13 x 9-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray.
• Drain the cottage cheese in a strainer for 15 minutes to remove any excess liquid; set aside. Press the thawed spinach in a strainer with a spoon or paper towels to remove excess water; set aside.
• Combine eggs, cottage cheese, mozzarella, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, salt and black pepper in a medium bowl; set aside.
• Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion and sauté until soft. Add the drained spinach, beans, garlic, oregano, basil and thyme, and sauté five minutes. Add pasta sauce and stir for a few more minutes until combined well.
• Spread 1/3 of the pasta sauce mixture onto the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with a layer of noodles, 1/2 of the cottage cheese mixture and another third of the sauce. Repeat the layer. Finish with the last 1/3 of the bean-pasta sauce mixture. Gently press down on the top of the lasagna to make sure all of the noodles are covered with sauce. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle on remaining 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake 15 minutes more or until lasagna is heated through and bubbly.

HEARTY VEGETABLE LASAGNA (WEIGHT WATCHERS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400. Spray 8 inch square baking dish and 2 baking sheets with nonstick spray. I skipped this step and put my sauce in the bottom and didn't need anything to coat the bottom.
• Place eggplant and zucchini on prepared baking sheets, overlapping slices if necessary.
• Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. I skipped the non-stick cooking spray and used olive oil. Bake until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes with their juice, mushrooms, bell pepper, basil, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon black pepper.
• Reduce heat and cook until sauce is bubbling but not thickened, about 10 minutes longer.
• Spread 1/2 cup of sauce in prepared baking dish. Cover with 1 lasagna noodle and top with 1/4 of eggplant and zucchini.
• Cover with 1/2 cup of sauce and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of mozzarella and 1 tablespoon of Parmesan. Repeat to make 4 more layers, ending with noodle topped with sauce. If any sauce remains, spoon over lasagna.
• Cover baking dish with foil and bake until bubbly, about 35 minutes. Uncover and bake until sauce is absorbed, about 10 minutes longer.
• Let stand about 5 minutes before serving.

VEGETARIAN LASAGNA

Steps:

• For the sauce: Put the olive oil and garlic in a medium pot over low heat. Cook the garlic, stirring occasionally at first and more often as it colors, until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Raise the heat to medium-low, add the onions and a large pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, bay leaves, basil sprig, thyme and 1 teaspoon salt, raise the heat to medium and bring the sauce to a lively simmer. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until quite thick (if you draw a spoon through the sauce, you'll see the bottom of the pot for a few seconds before the sauce fills back in), about 30 minutes. As the sauce thickens, turn the heat down a bit so the bottom doesn't scorch. Stir in the chopped basil. Let cool to room temperature before assembling the lasagna. (Makes 1 quart.)
• To assemble: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Squeeze the spinach in your hands to remove as much liquid as possible. Put it in a large bowl, and stir in the ricotta, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, the egg, 1 teaspoon salt and the nutmeg.
• Spread 3/4 cup of the tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Lay 3 lasagna noodles across the sauce (they won't touch). Spread 3/4 cup tomato sauce on top. Dollop 1/3 of the ricotta mixture (about 1 cup) across the sauce, and use the back of a spoon to spread it (it will smush into the tomato sauce, which is fine). Scatter 1 cup of the mozzarella on top.
• Repeat the layering 2 more times. Top with the last 3 noodles, spread the last 3/4 cup tomato sauce over them and scatter the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan over the top. Spray a large piece of foil with cooking spray, and cover the baking dish.
• Bake until the noodles are soft and the cheese has melted, about 40 minutes. Remove the foil, and continue to bake until the cheese is bubbling and the lasagna is slightly browned around the edges, about 15 minutes more. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

HEARTY VEGETABLE LASAGNA

Steps:

• Cook the lasagna noodles in a large pot of boiling water for 10 minutes, or until al dente. Rinse with cold water, and drain.
• In a large saucepan, cook and stir mushrooms, green peppers, onion, and garlic in oil. Stir in pasta sauce and basil; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.
• Mix together ricotta, 2 cups mozzarella cheese, and eggs.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spread 1 cup tomato sauce into the bottom of a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer 1/2 each, lasagna noodles, ricotta mix, sauce, and Parmesan cheese. Repeat layering, and top with remaining 2 cups mozzarella cheese.
• Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.