My Vegetable Lasagna dish may be meatless, but it’s just as rich, hearty and full of flavor as the classic recipe. Tucked between the noodles are layers of delicata squash and a creamy bechamel juxtaposed with separate layers of eggplant and tangy tomato sauce. Topped with plenty of cheese, the flavor combination in this lasagna dish can’t be beat. What a perfect meal on Meatless Monday!
To start, wash and peel one medium-sized orb eggplant. Slice into ¼-inch rounds, sprinkle with salt and let the eggplant sweat for about 10 minutes. Pat dry and then set aside.
Next, make the bechamel. In a large skillet, heat 1½ tablespoon of butter and 1½ tablespoon of olive oil. Once melted, stir in ½ teaspoon each of dried thyme, oregano, basil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes and ¼ teaspoon of grated nutmeg.
Stir in one minced clove of garlic and stir until fragrant. Next, add ¼ cup of all-purpose flour and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in 2 cups of milk and stir constantly until thickened and very smooth. Stir in 1 cup of shredded parmesan cheese and 1 ½ cups of fresh baby spinach. Cook until the cheese has melted, and the spinach is just wilted. Remove the bechamel from the heat and set aside.
Wash and halve one medium-sized delicata squash and slice into ¼-inch half-moons. Shred a 10-ounce block of mozzarella cheese and 3 ounces of parmesan cheese. Grab the lasagna noodles and a 12-ounce jar of your favorite tomato sauce. It’s time to assemble the lasagna dish.
Preheat an oven to 400 deg F. Spoon ¼ cup of tomato sauce into the bottom of the baking dish, then place a layer of uncooked, oven-ready lasagna noodles over top. Break the noodles if necessary to make a nice even layer. Spoon ⅔ of a cup of tomato sauce over the noodles then top the tomato sauce with half of the reserved eggplant slices. Sprinkle ⅓ of the shredded mozzarella over top of the eggplant then layer on ½ of the delicata squash. Spread 1 cup of bechamel over the squash then follow-up with another layer of noodles.
Top the noodles with another layer of tomato sauce, the remaining eggplant, ⅓ of the shredded mozzarella, the remaining delicata squash, the remaining bechamel and another layer of noodles. Finish the lasagna by spreading the remaining tomato sauce over top of the last layer of noodles and top with the shredded parmesan cheese and remaining mozzarella. Drizzle with olive oil and bake the lasagna, covered, for 60-75 minutes or until hot, gooey and bubbly. Allow the lasagna to cool for about 5 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!
Vegetable Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1, 8 oz package of oven-ready lasagna noodles
- 12 oz jar of tomato sauce
- 10 oz block of mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 3 oz parmesan cheese, shredded
- 1 medium-sized orb eggplant
- 1 medium-sized delicata squash
Bechamel Sauce
- 1½ tbsp olive oil
- 1½ tbsp butter
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1½ cups fresh baby spinach
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Wash and peel one medium-sized orb eggplant. Slice into ¼-inch rounds, sprinkle with salt and let the eggplant sweat for about 10 minutes. Pat dry. Set aside.
- Next, make the bechamel. In a large skillet, heat 1½ teaspoons of butter and 1½ teaspoons of olive oil. Once melted, stir in ½ teaspoon each of dried thyme, oregano, basil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes and ¼ teaspoon of grated nutmeg. Stir in one minced clove of garlic and stir until fragrant. Next, add ¼ cup of all-purpose flour and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in 2 cups of milk and stir constantly until thickened and very smooth. Stir in 1 cup of shredded parmesan cheese and 1½ cups of fresh baby spinach. Cook until the cheese has melted, and the spinach is just wilted. Remove the bechamel from the heat and set aside.
- Wash and halve one medium-sized delicata squash and slice into ¼-inch half-moons. Shred a 10-ounce block of mozzarella cheese and 3 ounces of parmesan cheese. Grab the lasagna noodles and a 12-ounce jar of your favorite tomato sauce.
- Assemble the lasagna dish.
- Spoon ¼ cup of tomato sauce into the bottom of a 4-qt. baking dish, then place a layer of uncooked, oven-ready lasagna noodles over top. Break the noodles if necessary to make a nice even layer. Spoon ⅔ of a cup of tomato sauce over the noodles then top the tomato sauce with half of the reserved eggplant slices. Sprinkle ⅓ of the shredded mozzarella over top of the eggplant then layer on ½ of the delicata squash. Spread 1 cup of bechamel over the squash then follow-up with another layer of noodles.
- Repeat. Top the noodles with another ⅔ of a cup of tomato sauce, the remaining eggplant, ⅓ of the shredded mozzarella, the remaining delicata squash, the remaining bechamel and another layer of noodles.
- Finish the lasagna by spreading the remaining tomato sauce over top of the last layer of noodles and top with the shredded parmesan cheese and the remaining mozzarella.
- Drizzle with olive oil and bake the lasagna, covered, for 60-75 minutes or until hot, gooey and bubbly.
- Allow the lasagna to cool for 5 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!
