Roast Vegetable Lasagne With Spinach And Ricotta Recipes

ROAST VEGETABLE LASAGNE WITH SPINACH AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• Place the vegetables in a roasting dish, cover in the olive oil and brown sugar and season well with salt and pepper. Tear the basil over the top of the vegies.
• Roast at 180C for around 45 minutes.
• While the vegetables are roasting, make pasta sauce (if you are using homemade) and spinach/ricotta mix.
• For the spinach and ricotta mix, defrost the spinach in the microwave.
• Mix into the thawed spinach the ricotta, cubed feta and parmesan. Stir thoroughly and season with salt and pepper.
• Layer the lasagne as follows: Pasta sauce on the bottom, then lasagne sheet, ricotta mix, lasagne sheet, vegetables (minus the garlic cloves), lasagne sheet, ricotta mix, lasagne sheet, pasta sauce, cheddar cheese. Finish off with the second amount of parmesan over the top of the lasagne (this helps create a great golden colour and a delicious flavour once it's cooked). I also like to add another dash of cracked pepper to the top for good measure.
• Bake the lasagne at 180C for 30 - 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
• If you feel so inclined, you can use the roasted cloves of garlic to make garlic butter for homemade garlic bread. Yum!

LASAGNA WITH SPINACH AND ROASTED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Toss the zucchini with the olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and top with the slices of zucchini. Place in the oven and roast 8 minutes. Remove from the oven, close the oven door and, using tongs, flip the zucchini slices over. Return to the oven for 5 minutes, or until the zucchini is tender when pierced with a knife and browned in spots. Remove from the oven and reduce the heat to 350 degrees.
• Steam the spinach for 2 to 3 minutes above an inch of boiling water, just until it wilts. Rinse briefly with cold water, squeeze out excess water and chop coarsely.
• Blend the ricotta cheese with the egg, water, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Lightly oil a rectangular baking pan. Spread a small spoonful of tomato sauce to cover the bottom of the pan. Top with a layer of lasagna noodles. Top the noodles with a thin layer of ricotta, then a layer of zucchini and spinach, a layer of tomato sauce and a layer of Parmesan. Repeat the layers, ending with a layer of lasagna noodles topped with tomato sauce and Parmesan.
• Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and place in the oven. Bake 40 minutes, until the noodles are tender and the mixture is bubbling. Uncover and, if you wish, bake another 10 minutes, until the top begins to brown. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

ROASTED VEGETABLE LASAGNA WITH SPINACH RICOTTA

Steps:

• 1) Roasted Vegetables: (preheat oven to 350° or 425° depending on how you want to roast the veggies -- see below). Also start the water to boil for the noodles. Cut the following into larger pieces -- appropriate for roasting. Place in large mixing bowl. 2 medium carrots 1 medium zucchini handful of mushrooms less than 1/2 of an average size head of broccoli (just handful of large chopped florets) 1/2 red onion 1 pepper (can be green, yellow, orange, or red -- I use y/o/r mini peppers) 1 baby eggplant (or 1/2 regular sized eggplant) 4 garlic cloves (peeled with the ends cut off only) 3-4 leaves of torn or chopped fresh basil In a separate cup, mix the following, then pour over veggies & toss to coat 1.5 tablespoons olive oil 1.5 tablespoons brown sugar salt & pepper to taste Two ways to roast veggies: 1) The easier way: Spread veggies out evenly onto two large baking sheets. Provide as much space between pieces as possible. Roast veggies at 350° for 30-40 minutes. Watch so that they don't turn to over crispy burnt veggie shells :) 2) The harder, but tastier way: Spread veggies out in the same way. Roast at 425° for 10-12 minutes. Listen for the sizzle of the veggies. Then turn the veggies over and continue roasting for another 10-12 minutes. Enter tangent on roasted veggies: ** key to excellent roasted veggies = surface area of the veggies in contact with oxygen and in contact with the pan (NOT in contact with each other). Then sort of zap cooked (meaning high temp w/ fry from the baking sheet). You want the veggies cooked through lightly with the outside caramelized and slightly burnt/crispy. Is it worth it for this lasagna? ... probably not. But good to know how to make stellar roasted veggies! 2) The Noodles: Cook minimum 16 lasagna sheets al dente. Then place in a bowl of cold water and set aside. OR -- you can use fresh lasagna noodles which don't require boiling. I haven't tried this yet. Let me know if you do! (DO NOT buy the Barilla no-boil lasagna sheets = Gross!) 3) Spinach Ricotta Mix: In a medium mixing bowl, mix the following (use a hand mixer on Low speed). 1 cup chopped fresh spinach 1 15oz tub of ricotta cheese 1 4oz tub of crumbled feta cheese 4 tablespoons of fresh finely grated parmesan cheese salt and pepper to taste 4) For the Lasagna you will need: 1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce (or make some from scratch if desired) 1.5 cups grated fresh cheddar cheese 4 tablespoons fresh finely grated parmesan cheese 5) Layer the Lasagna * spread thin layer of pasta sauce in bottom of lasagna dish * noodle layer (4 sheets) * ricotta cheese mix layer * noodle layer (4 sheets) * roasted veggies layer (remove garlic cloves) * noodle layer (4 sheets) * ricotta cheese mix layer * noodle layer (4 sheets) * pour remaining sauce over the entire lasagna * sprinkle top with cheddar and parmesan cheese * cracked pepper on top if desired Bake @350 for 40 Minutes covered uncover bake additional 10 minutes

SPINACH AND RICOTTA LASAGNE

Steps:

• Make the filling: Drain the ricotta in a fine sieve set over a bowl for 1 hour (or longer if the ricotta is very wet). If using fresh spinach, stem and rinse it well (don't dry the leaves). In a 12 inch skillet over medium high heat, cook the spinach until wilted (3 to 5 minutes). Drain well and squeee out excess moisture and chop finely. If using thawed frozen spinach, squeeze it dry.
• Melt the butter in a 10 inch or 12 inch skillet over medim-low heat and add the onion. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Add the spinach and toss it for 1 to 2 minutes to coat it with the butter. Transfer the spinach mixture to a bowl and let it cool to room temperature. Add the ricotta, Parmigiano, eggs, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Mix well. You should have about 4 1/2 cups.
• Cook the noodles: If using dried lasagna noodles instead of fresh use 1 lb and skip these cooking instructions--cook according to package instructions. If cooking fresh: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare a large bowl of ice water. Slip the noodles, 2 or 3 at a time, into the boiling water and cook them until they're tender and pale (3 to 5 minutes). Thinner noodles will cook more frequently. To make sure they're done, taste a small piece. If it's still tough, it needs a little more cooking (fresh pasta should not be cooked al dente like dried pasta). Carefully scoop the noodles out of the pot with a large wire skimmer and slide them into the ice water to stop the cooking. When they're cool, layer them between clean dish towels until you're ready to assemble the lasagna (the noodles will keep this way for up to 2 hours).
• Make the Quick Tomato Sauce: In a 3 or 4 quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrot, celery, onion, parsley, basil, a generous pinch of salt, and a couple grinds of pepper. Cook until the vegetables are pale gold (10 to 12 minutes). Add the wine and cook until it evaporates, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices, stir well, and simmer gently to blend the flavors and reduce the sauce to about 4 1/2 cups, 15 to 20 minutes (adjust the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer). Season to taste with salt and pepper. If you want a smoother texture, pass the sauce through a food mill or puree in a food processor.
• Make the Basic Cream Sauce: In a 2-quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly for 2 to 3 minutes. Do not let the mixture brown. Slowly whisk in the hot milk and bring just to a simmer, whisking frequently. Reduce the heat to low and cook, whisking often, until the sauce has thickened to a creamy, gravy-like consistency and no longer tastes of raw flour, 6 to 8 minutes for a single batch, 10 to 12 minutes for a double batch (you only need 1 batch for this recipe). Remove from the heat and whisk in the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. If you don't use this sauce within 30 minutes it will thicken. Add a little warm milk and whisk to the sauce to thin it if necessary.
• Assemble the lasagna: Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350. Choose a 9x12x3 inch baking dish or 10x14x2 inch baking dish. Spread 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce in a sparse layer on the bottom of the baking dish. Cover the sauce with a slightly overlapping layer of cooked noodles, cutting them as needed to fill the gaps. With a spatula, spread one third of the spinach and ricotta filling (about 1 1/2 cups) over the first layer of noodles. Then spread one third of the remaining tomato sauce (about 1 1/3 cups) and one third (1/2 cup) of the cream sauce over the filling. Sprinkle 1/3 cup of the Parmigiano on top. Add a new layer of noodles, overlapping them slightly, and repeat the layers as instructed above, using all of the filling and ending with the Parmigiano, to make a total of 3 layers (you may not need all the pasta). Dot the top with the butter cubes.
• Put the baking dish on a baking sheet and bake until heated through and bubbling at the edges, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

ROAST VEGETABLE, SPINACH AND RICOTTA LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F Place Eggplant, courgette, mushrooms and capsicum in a roasting pan, coat with 4 tablespoons of oil, season with salt and pepper, and bake for 25 - 30 minutes.
• Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large pan, add onion and garlic and saute until onion is translucent. Add crushed tomatoes and herbs and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir through roasted vegetables.
• In a large bowl mash ricotta with a fork and mix in egg and basil. Blanch spinach in a pot of boiling water for 30 secs or until wilted. Drain and add to ricotta mixture. Leave aside.
• For the cheese sauce melt butter in a saucepan over a medium heat, add flour and stir until mixture becomes frothy. Slowly pour in milk, whisking as you go. Bring to a boil, and whisk as mixture thickens. Remove from heat, stir in cheese and season with salt and pepper.
• In a large greased baking dish spoon half the roast vegetable sauce, followed by a layer of lasagna noodles, trimming noodles to fit dish if needed. Spread the ricotta mix on top, followed by another layer of noodles. Spoon over remaining half of sauce, followed by a layer of noodles. Pour over cheese sauce, sprinkle with extra grated cheese and bake for 30 - 40 minutes, or until golden brown.

ROAST VEGETABLE, SPINACH AND RICOTTA LASAGNA (MODIFIED)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180'C/350'F Grease a large baking dish. Cube the vegetables, place them in the dish, coat with 4 tablespoons of oil. Season with salt and pepper, and bake for 25-30 minutes or until they start to soften but still have some bite.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pan, add onion and garlic and sauté until onion is translucent. Add passata (or chopped tomatoes) and herbs and simmer for 10-30 minutes until thick. Remove from heat and stir through roasted vegetables.
• In a large bowl mash ricotta and feta cheese with a fork, and mix in the egg, nutmeg and basil. Blanch spinach in a pot of boiling water for 30 secs or until wilted. Drain and add to ricotta mixture. Leave aside.
• For the cheese sauce melt butter in a saucepan over a medium heat, add flour and stir until mixture becomes frothy. SLOWLY add milk, whisking as you go. Remove from heat, stir in the grated cheese and season with salt and pepper.
• Grease a large, deep baking dish. Spread half of the roast vegetable sauce over the bottom, and cover with a layer of lasagna noodles, trimming noodles to fit dish if needed.
• Spread the ricotta mix on top, followed by another layer of noodles. Spoon over remaining roast vegetable sauce, followed by a layer of noodles. Spread the cheese sauce on top, and sprinkle with extra grated cheese and parmesan.
• Bake at 200'C for 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving, or refrigerate overnight.