Fresh Vegetable Lasagna with Spinach and Zucchini
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 8 servings
- Calories
- 917
- Total Fat
- 54
- Saturated Fat
- 27
- Carbohydrates
- 57
- Dietary Fiber
- 8
- Sugar
- 13
- Protein
- 53
- Cholesterol
- 159
- Sodium
- 1757
- Total: 2 hr 20 min
- Active: 35 min
Ingredients
20 lasagna noodles
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and chopped
8 cups packed fresh spinach
3 cups fresh ricotta cheese
2 cups finely grated Parmesan
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 egg
6 cups shredded mozzarella
3 1/2 cups Chunky Marinara Sauce, recipe follows
Chunky Marinara Sauce:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 medium carrots, cut to 1/2-inch dice
1 stalk celery, cut to 1/2-inch dice
1 large yellow onion, cut to 1/2-inch dice
3 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
Pinch chile flakes, optional
One 28-ounce can tomato sauce puree
One 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, hand crushed or coarsely chopped
8 to 10 fresh basil leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and cook the lasagna noodles for 10 to 12 minutes. Drain the noodles and drizzle them with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and then set the noodles aside for later use. (If you are using no-boil noodles, skip this step.)
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat and cook the shallots until softened and translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and zucchini, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, 2 to 4 minutes.
- In a large bowl, stir to combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, pepper and egg, and set aside for a later use.
- To assemble the lasagna, spoon 1/2 cup of the Chunky Marinara Sauce into the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Top with 5 noodles, slightly overlapping. Spread one-third of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, then add one-third of the cooked zucchini and spinach, evenly distributing over the ricotta. Top with 2 cups of the mozzarella, then top with 1 cup of the sauce. Repeat the layering two more times, ending with a layer of noodles and a sprinkle of mozzarella.
- Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
- Remove the foil and continue to bake until bubbling and cooked through, 10 to 20 minutes more. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Chunky Marinara Sauce:
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan set over medium heat and add the carrots, celery and onions, and cook until soft and translucent, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then stir in the oregano, chile flakes, tomato puree, chopped tomatoes and their juices, basil leaves and some salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce has thickened, about 30 minutes.