- 2 cups onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
- 2 cups zucchini, chopped
- 2 cups yellow squash, chopped
- 2 cups carrots, thinly sliced
- 2 cups broccoli, chopped
- 2 teaspoons salt, divided
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 5 tablespoons flour
- 3 1/2 cups milk, heated
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 10 basil leaves, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
- 1 1/2 cups regular or part-skim ricotta cheese
- 2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1 package (9 ounces/12) no-boil lasagna noodles
Garden-Style Lasagna
From The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever
By Beatrice Ojakangas
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Coat a 9-by-15 inch or 10-by-15 inch lasagna pan with 3-inch deep sides with cooking spray.
2. Place a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat the pan with cooking spray. Add the onions to the pan and sauté 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Transfer the onion mixture to a large bowl.
3. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and yellow squash and sauté for 4 minutes or until tender and just beginning to brown. Add to the onion mixture.
4. Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Add the sliced carrots and sauté for 4 minutes or until tender. Add the chopped broccoli and sauté for 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add to the vegetable mixture. Sprinkle the vegetables with 1 teaspoon salt and toss well to combine.
5. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and whisk in the flour. Over medium-high heat, gradually add the milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes, or until thick, stirring constantly. 6.Remove from heat. Add 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, basil, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir until smooth. Stir in the spinach.
7. In a large bowl, combine ricotta and 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella. Stir well.
8. Spread 1/2 cup spinach mixture in the bottom of the lasagna pan. Arrange 4 noodles over the spinach mixture. Top with half of the cottage cheese mixture, half of the vegetable mixture, and about 1 cup of the spinach mixture. Repeat the layers, ending with the noodles. Spread the remaining spinach mixture over the noodles. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella.
9. Coat a sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray. Cover the casserole and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
