20 January 2019
I get it. You want lasagna, but you don’t eat meat. You want protein and nutrition, without all the animal fat. Here’s your solution. This vegetarian/vegetable lasagna is made with roasted eggplants, zucchini, red peppers, and baby spinach. There’s even some silken tofu whipped into the Ricotta cheese for an added lean protein boost! It tastes like you’re cheating but you’re not! Satisfy your cravings and don’t pay for it with this 5-star Vegetable Lasagna recipe.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 quart homemade or store-bought tomato sauce
- 1 vidalia onion chopped
- 1/2 box lasagna noodles
- 2-3 squash, yellow and green sliced lengthwise
- 1 eggplant sliced lengthwise
- 1/2 bag baby spinach stems removed & thinly sliced
- 3-4 roasted red peppers (jarred) julienned
- 1 15oz ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup silken tofu
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded plus more for topping
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated plus more for topping
- 1 egg
- handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 4-5 Tbl. oil for roasting vegetables
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- salt and pepper to taste
NOTES
Make sure to not use ALL your sauce in the lasagna, as you will definitely want some extra to serve with!
METHOD
- Pre-cook lasagna noodles. Heat water in large pot or deep skillet until boiling. Salt, and add lasagna noodles and cook until flexible but still firmer than al dente, about 5-7 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, and drain.
- Complete the Sauce. Use one Tbl. of oil to saute onions over medium heat for 5 minutes until soft. Add sauce (if not cooked with onions), and 1/2 cup reserved pasta water and let heat up for 5-10 minutes. Turn off heat and set aside.
- Roast Squash and Eggplant. Heat 1 Tbl of oil at a time in large skillet over medium-high heat, and working in batches, lay sliced vegetables down to brown. Saute on each side about 2-3 minutes until golden brown. (not too soft because they will cook in the sauce too). Add more oil as necessary so pan doesn't get dry. Set vegetables aside when done.
- Mix the Cheeses. Add ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, tofu, spinach, egg, parsley, basil to bowl and mix well until combined. Season well with sea salt and cracked pepper. Set aside.
- Assemble the Lasagna. Using a 9x9 casserole dish, ladle sauce into bottom to coat. Then place lasagna noodles down to completely cover, allowing ends to swoop up onto sides. Then add half the roasted vegetables as a layer. Next spoon and smooth out half of the cheese mixture. Top with 1/2 the roasted red peppers. Then sauce, noodles, vegetables, cheese, peppers again. Finish with sauce, noodles, and more mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Bake. 20 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit covered with aluminum foil. Then uncover and broil on low for 5-7 minutes until top cheese is bubbling and golden brown.
- Serve. Ladle spoonful of extra sauce on plate. Cut out lasagna square and place on top. Garnish with more chopped parsley. Enjoy!