Cheesy Loaded Vegetable Lasagna
Submitted by camper
Vegetable lasagna layered with spinach, broccoli, carrots, and shallots between a parmesan bechamel and a ricotta-mozzarella-egg cheese filling. White-sauce lasagna with no red sauce.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
45 minCOOK
35 minREADY
80 minA white-sauce vegetable lasagna that ditches the standard tomato marinara for a parmesan-laced bechamel, letting the vegetables and cheeses lead instead of fighting through a sea of red sauce. Spinach, broccoli florets, carrots, and shallots get a quick sauté to drive off water before layering, which is the most important move when working with vegetables in baked pasta. Wet vegetables make watery lasagna.
The ricotta-mozzarella-egg filling builds the creamy middle layer, and a few slices of raw tomato laid between each tier add brightness and acid that the white sauce alone wouldn’t provide. Three layers means every slice gives you a balanced cross-section of pasta, cheese sauce, ricotta filling, vegetables, and tomato.
Chef Tips
- Wring the thawed spinach dry in a clean kitchen towel before layering. Even after sautéing, frozen spinach holds an alarming amount of water.
- Salt the bechamel sparingly. Parmesan adds salt naturally, and the ricotta and mozzarella both contribute more.
- Pull the lasagna out when the top is golden brown and the edges bubble. The cheese should pull in strings, not pool flat.
- Let it rest 15 minutes before cutting. Lasagna sliced too early collapses into a sloppy heap on the plate.
Variations
- Add 8 oz of sliced mushrooms sautéed with the other vegetables for meaty texture.
- Use no-boil lasagna noodles and skip the cooking step entirely.
- Stir 1 cup of frozen peas or chopped artichoke hearts into the vegetable layer.
Ingredients
Directions
Make the cheese sauce first.
In skillet melt the tablespoons of butter over low heat.
Turn heat up to high and add flour blending into a smooth paste.
Add salt, nutmeg, white pepper and blend well.
Add milk and parmesan stirring to blend until the cheese melts smoothly.
Remove from heat.
Cheese filling: In another bowl mix ricotta, beaten eggs, grated mozzarella cheese and dried parsely.
Mix well.
Vegetables: In a skillet at high heat add some olive oil and sauté the chopped shallots for a few minutes.
Reduce to medium heat and add the chopped vegetables, except the tomato, stirring occasionally cook uncovered for about 10 minutes.
Cook the lasagna noodles per directions, rinse and set aside to cool.
Grease a deep casserole dish.
Put a little of the cheese sauce on the bottom then layer in three or four noodles.
Next a cheese sauce, then cheese filling then vegetables.
Top with a few slices of raw tomato.
Repeat three times you can leave off the top layer of tomato if you want browner cheese top.
Bake in a 350℉ (180℃) F oven for about 35 minutes.
Comments
