Veggie Lasagna

Category: Dinner Ideas

Every layer of this delicious veggie lasagna has its own flavor profile. Cooking the vegetables before assembling the lasagna ensures the dish won’t be soggy. Be sure to squeeze the spinach well—spinach holds a surprising amount of water that will make your lasagna soupy. Lightly coat the foil with cooking spray before covering the lasagna to prevent the cheese from sticking. Serve with a mixed green salad and crusty garlic bread.

ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

  • 1 pound cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced

  • 1 medium red onion, finely chopped

  • 1 small red bell pepper, chopped

  • 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

  • 3 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped

  • 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided

  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

  • 1 (10-ounce) package baby spinach

  • 2 cups shredded low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

  • 1 (15-ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese

  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

  • 1/4 cup refrigerated basil pesto

  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten

  • 1 (24-ounce) jar low-sodium marinara sauce, divided

  • 12 no-boil whole-wheat lasagna noodles

  • 1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves

demo

Direction

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 9-by-13-inch broiler-safe baking dish with cooking spray. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onion and bell pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushroom liquid has cooked off and the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes.  Add sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. (Do not wipe the skillet clean.)
  2. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan; heat over medium-high heat. Add spinach; cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a clean kitchen towel and let cool for 5 minutes. Gather the towel and squeeze firmly over the sink to remove as much liquid as possible. Transfer the spinach to a cutting board and roughly chop. Add to the vegetable mixture; stir until combined.

  3. Combine 1/2 cup mozzarella, ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmesan, pesto, egg and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl; stir until well blended.

  4. Spread 1 cup marinara in the prepared baking dish; top with a layer of 4 noodles. Spread 1 cup ricotta mixture evenly over the noodles; top with 2 cups vegetable mixture. Repeat the layers once. Top with the remaining 4 noodles, 1 cup ricotta mixture and 1 cup marinara. Sprinkle with the remaining 1½ cups mozzarella and ½ cup Parmesan. Cover with foil.

  5. Bake for 30 minutes. Carefully remove the foil;  bake until the top is browned around the edges, about 20 minutes more. Let cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Slice and serve topped with basil.