Vegetable Lasagna with Homemade Tomato Sauce
Lasagna is a great choice for entertaining guests. It can be prepared in advance, and simply popped in the oven, so that when company comes you can spend your time mingling instead of standing over the stove! Experiment with Vegetable Lasagna with Homemade Tomato Sauce recipe by varying the vegetables used, adding cooked lean ground beef or chicken, changing the spices - the options are endless! This also makes a great dish to bring to parties and potlucks. And, as always, this revamped recipe has just a fraction of the calories and fat of traditional lasagna. The tomato sauce recipe used in this dish is an excellent source of lycopene and antioxidants.
Equipment
- 1 large saucepan
- 1 single layer on aluminum foil
- 1 large non-stick skillet
- 1 oven
Ingredients
- 9 lasagna noodles - about 8 ounces (again - if you are in a hurry, substitute the “no-boil” lasagna noodles)
- 1½ teaspoons olive oil
- ⅓ cup carrot, finely chopped or grated
- 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
- 2 cups fresh mushrooms, coarsely chopped (if using canned, 1 large can drained and rinsed)
- 3 cups broccoli (including stems), coarsely chopped
- 1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained (10 ounces)
- 1 container nonfat ricotta cheese (15 ounces)
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced (or 1/2 tablespoon dried)
- 1½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1½ cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
Tomato Sauce
- 2 cans whole peeled tomatoes, undrained (16 ounces each)
- 2 cans no salt added tomato paste (6 ounces each)
- 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
- ¼ red wine
- 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
- ½ tablespoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil; Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. While sauce cooks, begin preparing lasagna.
to prepare the Lasagna:
- Cook lasagna noodles according to the package directions (but omit the salt called for). Drain noodles and rinse well under cold water. Place in a single layer on aluminum foil. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add carrot and garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2 more minutes. Reduce the heat, add the broccoli, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove pan from the heat and stir in spinach.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine ricotta, parsley, oregano, cornstarch, and black pepper in a small bowl. fold in 1 1/4 cups of the mozzarella cheese.
- Lightly spray a 13 by 9 glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Spread 2 tablespoons of the tomato sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange 3 noodles over the sauce and spread with 1/2 the cheese mixture, followed by 1/2 the vegetable mixture. Pour about 1/3 of the remaining tomato sauce over vegetables.
- Repeat layers, ending with last 3 noodles on top. Pour the remainder of the tomato sauce over noodles; Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, and bake for 10 additional minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
Make-Ahead and Freezing Options: Vegetable lasagna tastes even better when prepared in advance. Simply assemble the lasagna, cover it tightly with foil, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking. You can also freeze the assembled, unbaked lasagna for up to three months. Just remember to thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before baking.