© Sunshine Urbaniak
Veggie Lasagna
This veggie lasagna recipe is inspired by lasagne I had from Whole Foods back in 1997. I frequently lunched there while working at a design firm in Palo Alto, CA. At least once a week I’d get the veggie lasagna. It was the complete opposite of what lasagna normally is—heavy on meat and cheese. This lasagna was light and fresh, I guess it was a take on Cali-fresh. Sliced zucchini, squash, and mushroom are the main ingredients, smothered in a light yet flavorful marinara sauce with just enough cheese to call it lasagna. I can still remember the taste of fresh basil in each bite.
My marinara sauce is perfect for this veggie lasagna. It’s quick to make, very flavorful, and not heavy—just right for the veggies and cheese to hang out in. Feel free to use whatever lasagna noodles you love. Several years ago I switched to fresh lasagna sheets. They don’t require pre-cooking and their freshness adds to the overall dish. I also only use as many sheets as needed to complete a solid layer. I prefer to eat more of the filling with minimal noodles. When serving, top each piece with freshly sliced basil and extra marinara on the side. Enjoy!
Veggie Lasagna
Servings: 8-10
AuthorSunshine UrbaniakCategoryDinnerTotal Time1 hr 25 minsINGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Either prepare your marinara sauce or purchase a 32 oz. jar. Take lasagna sheets out of the fridge to warm up. You'll need a 9 x 12 pan.
Prepare veggies by heating the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, cook for 3 min. Add diced tomatoes, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano. Mix well and cover. Cook until veggies begin to soften, about 10-15 min. stirring often. Once cooked, remove from heat and stir in fresh basil and parsley. Set aside.
While veggies are cooking, mix all the cheeses, egg, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl. until smooth Set aside.
Begin layering the lasagna. Spoon in 1/2 cup of sauce onto the bottom of the pan. Add a layer of noodles, then top with half of the veggie mixture and half of the cheese mixture, top with 1 1/2 cup of sauce. Repeat for the second layer. On the final top layer of noodles, pour 1/2 cup of sauce and sprinkle 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese evenly. Cover in foil and bake for 45 min. Remove when bubbly, remove foil and let rest for 10 min. before serving.
Ingredients
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