Veg Lasagna


Ingredients


  • 1 medium Japanese eggplant
  • 1 medium zucchini
  • 2 bell peppers
  • 4T Balsamic vinegar
  • 4T Tamari (or soy sauce)
  • Pinch sugar
  • 1t each (approx) of fennel seed, dried basil, oregano, thyme
  • fresh black pepper

  • 2 medium portabello mushrooms
  • 1/2c cooking wine (I used cheap red)
  • 1T olive oil
  • 2T Tamari (or soy sauce)
  • 2T balsamic vingegar
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 large cans crushed tomatoes
  • 3 small red chillies, diced
  • 2 large onions, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • salt, pepper, oregano, chili powder, paprika (to taste)
  • fresh basil and thyme
  • 1-2T brown sugar

  • 1 container ricotta cheese
  • 3-4T freshly grated parmesan
  • 1/4c freshly chopped parsley
  • 1 bag spinach, chopped, steamed, drained and cooled
  • 5-8 leaves fresh basil, chiffonaded
  • salt, pepper, and garlic powder (to taste)

  • Oven-ready lasagna noodles
  • 1/2c mozzarella cheese, grated
  • 1/4c cheddar cheese, grated

Directions


  1. Slice eggplant thinly (1/4") and on a diagonal. Rub both sides with salt, and place pieces in a colander over the sink for about a half an hour.
  2. Meanwhile, slice zucchini thinly (1/4") and place on a lined cookie sheet. Slice bell peppers on either end to create 5 flat pieces (1 bottom piece, four side pieces). Place bell peppers on the lined cookie sheet.
  3. Crush fennel seed in a mortar and pestle, then add remaining dried herbs and combine. Add herbs to a small bowl with balsamic vinegar and tamari, and mix well. Brush marinade onto zucchini and bell peppers.
  4. Remove stem from portabello mushrooms. Place in a rimmed dish upside-down.
  5. Combine ingredients for mushroom marinade and pour over the mushroom caps. Try to get as much of the marinade into the mushrooms.
  6. Cover mushroom dish with tin foil and marinade for 20-30 minutes.
  7. Preheat oven to 400.
  8. Rinse eggplant and pat dry with tea towel. Add to lined cookie sheet and brush with marinade. Be sure to coat well - eggplant will dry out otherwise.
  9. Crack fresh black pepper over all roasting vegetables.
  10. Place roasting vegetables and portabellos in the oven. Roast vegetables until peppers begin to brown, eggplant begins to shrivel, and zucchini is less juicy. Roast portabellos for 30 minutes.
  11. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Thinly slice portabellos once cooled.
  12. Heat onions for tomato sauce in a pot with olive oil until browned. Add remaining ingredients and simmer. Sauce should be slightly liquidy to accommodate oven-ready noodles.
  13. Combine ingredients for ricotta mixture and mix well.
  14. Preheat oven to 350.
  15. Build the lasagna: Sauce - Noodles - Sauce - Ricotta - Noodles - Veggies - Noodles - Sauce (Note: If your pan is deep enough, try doing 2 layers of veggies, one layer before the ricotta and one after).
  16. Cover with tin foil and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until top layer of noodles is softened.
  17. Remove tin foil, top the lasagna with grated cheese, and return to the oven. Increase temperature to 375 and remove lasagna when cheese is browned.
  18. Allow lasagna to sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.