PASTA - VEGETABLE LASAGNA

Serves 8
 

1 package frozen fresh pasta sheets or 12 lasagna noodles, cooked according to instructions

RED SAUCE

1 can crushed tomatoes (24 ounces)

1 can tomato sauce (24 ounces)

Olive oil

6 cloves garlic, crushed

Handful of parsley, finely chopped

Pinch of nutmeg

Pinch of cinnamon

2 teaspoons fresh basil, chopped

2 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped

WHITE SAUCE

2 tablespoons (1 ounce) butter

3 tablespoons (1 ounce) flour

2 ½ cups milk

VEGETABLE FILLING

1 eggplant, peeled and chopped

2 handfuls fresh spinach

1 small onion

1 zucchini, peeled and chopped

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 yellow squash, chopped

½ pound mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

RED SAUCE

Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized pot and soften 4 cloves of the garlic and the parsley.  Add the crushed tomatoes and the tomato sauce.  Stir in the nutmeg and cinnamon and 1 teaspoon each of the basil and oregano.  Simmer for 30 minutes and then add the rest of the basil and the oregano.  Taste and adjust the seasoning if desired.

WHITE SAUCE

Melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the flour to make a roux.  Cook the roux, whisking regularly, until it smells like popcorn and then add the cold milk.  Bring to a boil, and whisk until smooth.  Add a dash of nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. 

FILLING

Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil until the onion is translucent.  Add the eggplant, zucchini, squash, carrot, and mushroom.  Cook until the vegetables are soft.  Add the spinach, stir and turn off the heat.  Salt and black pepper to taste.

Preheat the oven to 350F.

To assemble the lasagna, put ¼ of the red sauce in the bottom of a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish.  Layer in the following order: 4 lasagna noodles, 1/3 white sauce, ½ vegetables, ¼ of the red sauce, and 1/3 of the cheese.  Repeat as many times as you can in the dish and top everything with a sprinkle of chopped parsley.  Bake until bubbly and golden brown on top, about 1 hour.  Let the lasagna rest covered for 15 minutes before cutting to allow it to firm up a bit.

Edited from Schuler’s by Hans Schuler and Jonathan Schuler.