HEALTHY VEGGIE LASAGNA

Even meat lovers will love this recipe. It is packed with vegetables, easy to make, and the smell of the roasted veggies will make your mouth water. Classic lasagna recipes can be pretty heavy, so avoiding the meat and substituting cottage cheese for the béchamel sauce (white sauce) will make the lasagna lighter and your stomach happier. I have served this dish many times and have seen the skeptical faces overturned. Unfortunately I can’t take the whole credit for this recipe. It is inspired from my sister-in-law, Sarah, and my friend’s mother, Alicia, who both make excellent lasagna. My recipe combines my favorite parts from each of them.

INGREDIENTS (makes 6-8 servings):

Roasted vegetables:

• 1 eggplant (about 1 lbs./450 grams), cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 medium squash, cut into ½ -inch cubes
• 8 oz. (225 grams) mushrooms, cubed
• 1 medium-large onion, cut into ½ -inch cubes
• 1 large carrot, cut into ½ -inch cubes
• 4 garlic cloves, crush and minced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Spinach mix:

• 1 pack of frozen spinach (10 oz. / 280 grams)
• 16 oz. (450 grams) cottage cheese
• ½ teaspoon of nutmeg

Other:

• 1 jar (24 oz. /680 grams) of tomato sauce with basil (preferably organic with natural ingredients; I used Rao’s homemade tomato basil sauce)
• 1 package of no boil lasagna
• ½ pack of shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 440⁰F (225⁰C)
2. Cut all the vegetables and lay them out on a baking sheet, drizzle oil and spices, and mix well. Roast for about 20-25 minutes or until they look roasted, turning the vegetables once or twice. Once the vegetables are done, turn the oven temperature down to 375⁰F (190⁰C)
3. Mix the spinach with the cottage cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
4. Use a large ovenproof lasagna pan about 13”x 9” (33cm x 23cm) and layer the lasagna like this:
   1. Add a thin layer of tomato sauce in the bottom
   2. 1 layer lasagna noodles with ½ of the roasted vegetables and a little tomato sauce on top
   3. 1 layer lasagna noodles and ¾ of the spinach mix and a little tomato sauce
   4. 1 layer lasagna noodles, the rest of the roasted veggies, a little tomato sauce, the rest of the spinach mix and finish with the rest of the tomato sauce. Make sure to get the tomato sauce around the edges and cover all the lasagna noodles. (You can also add a little milk or water to the tomato sauce jar to get the rest out, and pour it over the lasagna for a more moist dish)
   5. Sprinkle the top with shredded cheese
5. Put it in the oven for about 40 minutes or until the cheese is nicely browned.