It’s Summertime and the vegetables are a-plenty. Perfect timing for my Roasted Vegetable Lasagna. It was several years ago that I bought a frozen vegetable lasagna. I don’t know why, but the picture looked so good….as it turned out it was good! So good, I knew homemade would be even better.
Mama sent me home with fresh eggplant, zucchini and bell peppers last week, so today I decide to make my Roasted Vegetable Lasagna. It’s a labor of love that takes a little time….but it makes me feel good to spend time in the kitchen cooking up something so wholesome for my family, so I don’t mind the time.
First wash your vegetables….and then slice the eggplant, onion, bell pepper and zucchini into 1/4 inch slices. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle Italian Seasoning over. Toss.
Spread the vegetables in a single layer on a large roasting pan. Roast vegetable in a 400* oven for 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool vegetables. I like to slip the peeling off the bell pepper after roasting.
While cooking your lasagna noodles, stir herbs into cottage cheese ( or Ricotta)
Begin by layering the eggplant, zucchini and onion on top of first layer of cooked noodles.
Top vegetables with Prego sauce.
Next add a layer of noodles, then cottage cheese and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Next add spinach and bell peppers on top.
Isn’t this beautiful???? Looks like the Italian flag…imagine that.
A work of art. It’s almost too pretty to eat….Almost…I said almost.
Add Prego sauce to the top and cover tightly with tin foil. Bake for 45 minutes.
Remove foil. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese on top and return to oven and bake uncovered until cheese melts and is lightly browned.
Allow the lasagna to sit for at least an hour before cutting…if you can. It will be easier to slice if you wait.
I like to bake it in the morning and have it ready for supper. Saturday is a good morning to do this…right after breakfast. Then enjoy the day. Or you could put it together after supper and bake it when you get home tomorrow…anytime is a good time for Roasted Vegetable Lasagna.
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant
- 3 zucchini
- 2 Med. Vidalia Onion...or sweet onion of choice
- 2 red bell peppers
- 4 cups Ricotta or cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 3-4 cups mozzarella, grated
- 9 (or 12) Lasagna noodles (I had three layers of noodles)
- 1 1/2 24oz jars Prego or sauce of choice
- 4 cups raw spinach
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- 3-4 stems of fresh thyme
- 1 TBLS dried basil
- 1/2 cup Olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasonings
Instructions
- Slice eggplant, zucchini, onion into 1/4 inch thick slices. Seed bell pepper and slice into long thick strips. Toss with olive oil and Italian seasonings. Place in single layer in shallow pan. Roast for 20 minutes in 400* oven. Remove from heat and cool until ready to assemble lasagna.
- Remove skin from red bell pepper strips.
- Stir cottage or ricotta cheese with dried basil and fresh thyme. Set aside.
- Cook lasagna noodles until tender.
- Place 1/4 cup Prego in bottom of lasagna pan.
- Arrange first layer of noodles in bottom of pan.
- Top with layers of eggplant and zucchini and onion
- Top with 2 cups of Prego sauce
- Next layer of noodles
- Next layer ricotta cheese
- Sprinkle with parmesan cheese
- Layer of noodles
- Top with Spinach and basil leaves
- Next layer red bell peppers on top.
- Add remaining Prego sauce
- Place pan on a cookie sheet to catch drips. Cover tightly with tin foil and bake for 45 minutes in 325* oven
- Uncover and top with mozzarella
- Continue cooking uncovered until cheese melts and is lightly browned.
- Cool before serving. The longer it cools, the better it will slice...at least an hour...or more. It retains heat a long time so it'll still be warm, ...but it's just as good cold... 🙂
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