Roasted vegetables add flavor, texture to lasagna
My daughter-inlaw Emily is always gracious enough to make this delicious lasagna for me when I ask. The roasting of the vegetables adds such a wonderful flavor and texture to the lasagna.
Roasted vegetable lasagna
Vegetables:
• 4 red bell peppers
• 1 teaspoon olive oil or butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 yellow squash, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 large onion, cut into 16 wedges
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
Cheese filling:
• 2 cups 2% low-fat cottage cheese
• 1 1/2 cups grated sharp provolone cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 large jar of your favorite spaghetti or marinara sauce
• 9 cooked lasagna noodles (you can use the no-boil noodles if you prefer)
• 2 cups spinach leaves, divided
• 1 cup sliced white button mushrooms
• 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• Fresh basil sprigs (optional)
• Cooking spray
Preheat broiler.
To prepare vegetables, cut bell peppers in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 15 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel; set aside.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Combine oil, salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, squash, zucchini and onion on a baking sheet; toss well. Bake the vegetables at 450 degrees F for 20 minutes. Remove from oven; combine squash mixture and garlic in a bowl.
Decrease oven temperature to 375 degrees F.
To prepare cheese mixture, combine cottage cheese and the next 3 ingredients (cottage cheese through oregano) in a bowl.
Spread 1/4 cup sauce in the bottom of a 13-by-9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 3 noodles over sauce; top with 1 1/4 cups cheese mixture, 1 cup spinach, 4 bell pepper halves, 2 cups vegetable mixture, half the mushrooms and 1/4 cup sauce. Repeat layers, ending with noodles. Spread remaining sauce over noodles.
Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake an additional 20 minutes. Garnish with basil sprigs.
Laura Tolbert, also known as Fleur de Lolly, has been sharing recipes, table decor ideas and advice for fellow foodies and novices on her blog, fleurdelolly.blogspot.com for more than eight years. She won the Duke Mayonnaise 100th Anniversary nationwide recipe contest for her Alabama White BBQ Sauce. You can contact her at facebook.com/fleurde.lolly.5, on Instagram and fleurdelolly@yahoo.com.