Lasagna Primavera
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 3 medium zucchini, about 2 ½ to 3 cups finely chopped – mine were in 1/4-inch or less pieces
- 2 cups squash, finely chopped – 1/4-inch or less pieces
- 2 cups chopped broccoli
- 20 ounces chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained well (or squeezed through a towel)
- 3 cups ricotta cheese
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 16 ounces mozzarella, shredded (about 4 cups)
- 4-6 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 2 jars (24-ounces each) pasta sauce, or use 6 cups of homemade sauce (see note)
- 12 no-boil lasagna noodles, I love the Barilla brand, or 12 regular lasagna noodles, boiled and drained
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine all the chopped vegetables (carrots, broccoli, zucchini, squash) with 1/2 teaspoon salt and steam briefly, for 2-3 minutes, to soften them just a bit (they’ll finish cooking in the oven after the lasagna is assembled).
- In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, spinach and salt. Mix well.
- Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan. Spoon about 3/4 cup sauce onto the bottom of the pan and spread around. It will be a thin layer. Cover with four no-boil lasagna noodles, overlapping slightly. Spoon in 1/3 of the lightly steamed vegetables evenly. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over the vegetables then sprinkle with 1/3 of the mozzarella and 1/4 of the Parmesan cheese. Pour 1/3 of the remaining sauce over the cheese, lightly spreading it to the edges. Repeat the layers (noodles, vegetables, ricotta, mozzarella/parm, sauce) two more times, ending with the last of the sauce. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese over the top. This lasagna will be piled high – above the rim of your 9X13-inch pan, but it will settle as it bakes.
- Cover the lasagna with a sheet of lightly greased foil and place the 9X13-inch pan on a large baking sheet lined with foil (this is important since the lasagna will bubble and spit over the edge a bit as it bakes). Bake, covered, for 50 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes longer. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
Spaghetti Sauce: here is my favorite homemade version.
Lining the Oven: when assembled, this lasagna is piled very high – above the rim of the baking pan. Initially, I thought I might have an exploding volcano of lasagna all over my oven but wasn’t I pleased when it settled perfectly while baking. Be sure, though, to place it on a foil-lined baking sheet to avoid any potential spillovers while it cooks.