Vegetable Lasagna

6 uncooked lasagna noodles
1 onion, diced
1 c. (about 2 1/2 oz.) fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 med. zucchini, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp. water
1 c. lowfat part skim ricotta or cottage cheese
1/2 c. shredded carrots
1 (9 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
2 egg whites
1 (14 oz.) jar spaghetti sauce
3 oz. (3/4 c.) shredded lowfat part skim mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Cook lasagna noodles to desired doneness as directed on package. Drain; rinse with hot water.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray medium nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray. heat over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion, mushrooms, zucchini and garlic; cook and stir 1 minute. Add water; cover and cook 3-4 minutes until crisp tender.

In a small bowl combine ricotta cheese, carrot, spinach and egg whites; mix well. In an ungreased 12 x 8 inch (2 quart) baking dish, layer half of cooked noodles, half of sauce, half of mushroom mixture and half of ricotta cheese mixture; repeat layers. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes until hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Vegetable Lasagna with Red Sauce

I found this recipe a while ago and have made it several times, always to positive reviews. Unlike most vegetable lasagna dishes, this one uses a standard red sauce (hence the name of the recipe.) Even my meat-loving husband really likes it!

6 dried lasagna noodles
1 lb ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil
ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
8 oz. chopped frozen broccoli, thawed & drained
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced (optional)
1 1/2 - 2 cups spaghetti sauce (I make my own using this recipe but process just until chunky)
1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook pasta in boiling water for 8-10 minutes or until al dente; drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside. In a large bowl, combine ricotta cheese, eggs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, basil, and pepper.

Saute onion in oil over high heat for about 5 minutes; add carrots and saute 2 minutes more. Stir in bell pepper, broccoli, and garlic, if using. Reduce heat to medium and cook until tender, approx. 5 mins more. Mix all into ricotta mixture.

Spread small amount of sauce in bottom of a 9"x13" pan to prevent sticking. Layer noodles, vegetables, sauce, and cheese. Bake at 350*F for 45-60 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

UPDATE: Last week I made just the vegetable filling for the recipe (cut in half) and used it to stuff about 10 - 12 jumbo shells. Drizzle red sauce over it to taste, the cover and bake for about 25 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and bake 5 minutes more. Fabulous.

Mega-Veggie Lasagna

For all you meat lovers, don't be turned away by the all the veggies in this lasagna. It is fantastic, very filling and every bit as good as a meat lasagna!

1 9oz pkg lasagna noodles, cooked according to package {I used multi grain noodles}
3 T olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 pound eggplant, skin on and cubed
1 large tomato chopped
1 1/2 cups firmly packed artichoke hearts, drained {I chopped my up}
1 T garlic powder {I used fresh, about 2 cloves}
4 cups marinara sauce {I used a jar of spaghetti sauce and left out most of the seasonings}
4 cups low-fat ricotta cheese {I mixed mine with 2 eggs}
4 cups shredded mozzarella

Preheat the oven to 375F. Spray a nonstick 9x13 pan with nonstick cooking spray. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat and brown the onions for about 1 minute. Add the bell pepper, eggplant, tomato, artichoke hearts and cook for a couple minutes. Add the tomato sauce {or spaghetti sauce} and seasonings. Cook for about 5 minutes. Put a small amount of sauce in prepared pan, enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Place about half the lasagna noodles over the bottom of the pan, overlapping the sheets as needed to fill all gaps. Spoon half the sauce/veggie mixture over the noodles and top with half the ricotta cheese. Sprinkle with a bit of mozzarella. Place the remaining lasagna noodles over the cheese and spoon and smooth on the remaining sauce. Top with remaining ricotta and cover with shredded mozzarella. Cover the baking pan tightly with foil. Bake for about 45 minutes {I find about 30 does the trick}, or until top layer of cheese melts and is bubbly. Remove from the oven and serve.

**Before baking, you can cover tightly and freeze. Just put it into the refrigerator the morning you want to eat it and heat as above.

**For you smaller families out there, you can make this in two 9" square pans {I like to use the disposable foil ones from the grocery store}, eat one now and freeze the second for use in about 1 month. If it is covered tightly {I use saran wrap and then foil} it should keep for about 6 weeks. Bonus: work once, eat two meals!