Vegetable Lasagna with Zucchini seems daunting because there are so many layers to it (literally). However, it is pretty straight forward to make. Just give yourself some time on a weekend to prep it. Then, during the week when we get busy, just pop it in the oven to heat and it’s ready to go. Vegetable Lasagna with Zucchini is a fantastic, completely balanced meal to share with others, too, like when people have a newborn and you need to drop a dish off at their house. It’s full of vegetables and protein. It will warm their souls and nourish their hearts.
Author: Sarah Koszyk
Recipe type: Entree, Vegetarian Entree
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 8
Ingredients
1 package lasagna noodles
1 zucchini, sliced
5 cups water
Sauce:
1 medium onion, diced
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning
1 12-ounce can Tomato paste
1 Tbsp sugar
1 ½ tsp Salt
½ tsp Oregano
½ tsp Thyme
½ tsp Crushed red pepper
2 Garlic cloves, minced
2 Bay leaves
Cooking Oil Spray
Filling:
1 egg
½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 15-oz container of fat free ricotta
1 14-oz reduced fat mozzarella, grated
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Boil lasagna noodles in water for about 8 minutes, or until limp. Remove from water and set aside on a plate, making sure they don’t stick to one another. *** While noodles are boiling make sauce & zucchini. See below for directions.
Directions for sauce: Spray a large saucepan with cooking spray. Add onion and garlic over medium-high heat. Cook until onions are translucent and the garlic is slightly browned (5 minutes). Next, add the rest of the ingredients to the pan. Cover and bring to a slow simmer (when the mixture is slightly boiling). Allow mixture to simmer for a half an hour to build flavor. Remove bay leaves before serving. (Save some sauce for lunch the next day to make pasta and turkey meatballs with).
Directions for zucchini: Thinly slice zucchini and cook over medium heat in a pan on the stove sprayed with cooking spray for about 2-3 minutes on each side or until tender.
Directions for filling: While everything else is cooking, in a medium size bowl, mix egg and cheeses together until it’s a smooth mixture. Save 1 cup of the mozzarella to sprinkle on top.
Make lasagna: In a 9x13 glass pyrex, put one layer of lasagna noodles on the bottom, then layering one cup of sauce, one cup of filling after that and then a layer of zucchini. Repeat these layers until pan is filled to the top and you have used all of the noodles, zucchini, and filling.
Top with the sprinkled mozzarella.
***At this time, you can cover the lasagna to cook later OR cook in the oven for 45 minutes now. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before slicing.