Easy Vegetable Lasagna

I threw this together tonight, so the measurements are not exact and may need adjusting, but this is so delicious and easy, especially if you use pre-made spaghetti sauce.   You can adapt to your family's tastes.  My kids won't come anywhere within 10 miles of a mushroom, and most of the veggie lasagna recipes I came across called for mushrooms, so instead I used zucchini.  You can add roasted red peppers (I think I'll try that next time!), squash, broccoli, peppers, anything that sounds good and is already in your fridge.  Just remember when sautéing the veggies, cook the hard veggies, such as carrots, longer and add the softer veggies, such as spinach or squash last.  I didn't miss the meat at all, and my kids even came back for seconds (though, I'll admit, I found a few pieces of zucchini pushed to the side on their plates).

Easy Vegetable Lasagna

9-10 lasagna noodles, cooked

Large Jar (3-4 cups) of spaghetti sauce (I used Kirkland's marinara)

3 cups Ricotta cheese

1 egg, lightly beaten

3-4 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided

1-2 tsp. dried basil

1-2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 Tbs Olive Oil

1 cup chopped onions

1 tsp minced garlic

1 cup chopped carrots

2-3 cups chopped fresh spinach

1 zucchini, sliced and quartered

Preheat oven to 350.  

Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium low heat.  Add carrots and other hard veggies, and cook for 3-4 minutes.  Add onions and garlic and sauté for a couple of minutes.  Then add zucchini and spinach.  Cook until veggies are softened, then add spaghetti sauce and heat through.

In a bowl, combine ricotta, 1-2 cups of mozzarella, parmesan cheese, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and egg.  Stir until well mixed.  

In a 9x13 glass dish, layer three times: noodles, cheese mixture, veggie sauce.  Top with remaining mozzarella cheese and cover with aluminum foil.  Bake for 30 minutes then let sit for 5-10 minutes.