Vegetable lasagna

Lasagna is a great cook ahead dinner, perfect for those days you know you will get home late and everyone will be hungry the moment they go through the door. You just need some time to heat it up (for me while the kids are taking their bath) and you’re done. It is also a great leftover meal… so if you decide to make it, think big! In this case it is better to overestimate than underestimate 😉.

A lasagna might not be the quickest dish to put together, but it is totally worth the time and effort. This time I’ve done this vegetable lasagna with bechamel sauce (white sauce) which I don’t usually do, but now and then I like to have a more satisfying filling lasagna, and the bechamel just does that.  Preparing the bechamel sauce adds a bit of work (and calories!) to the recipe so if you prefer to go with a lighter meal or don’t have that much time, you can totally skip it.

For this vegetable lasagna I also used whole grain lasagna noodles that had to be boiled beforehand. It is a good way to add some extra fiber to the dish. And, if you are not a big fan of whole wheat pasta but like the idea of the extra fiber, this is a good dish to sneak it in because with all the sauce and veggies, you can’t really tell it is whole wheat pasta. But I like the convenience of regular oven-ready lasagna noodles that taste great and they save you some time (and cleaning pots!).

I love this (or any) lasagna packed with vegetables. For my veggies I used zucchini, eggplant, carrot and onion (and the tomato sauce, of course!). I first sauteed them in a pan to get them soft and juicy. The result was pretty amazing. A flavorful, earthy and satisfying vegetable lasagna. We all devoured it and kept asking for more!

Vegetable lasagna

• Author: Carla
• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 60
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Yield: 4–6 1x
• Category: Main dish

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Description

A great vegetarian dinner that will make you feel full and happy. 

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 medium eggplant
• 1 medium zucchini
• 1 medium onion
• 2 medium carrots
• 3 cups tomato sauce
• oregano
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 ½ cups milk
• 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
• 9 whole wheat lasagna noodles
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Nutmeg

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Instructions

1. Cut all the vegetables (onions, carrots, zucchini and eggplant) in small cubes.
2. In a big pan sauté the onion in olive oil for 5 min or until gold.
3. Add the rest of the vegetables to the onions and cook until tender, about 10 min. Add more oil if necessary.
4. Add the tomato sauce, oregano, salt and pepper and cook for another 10 min.
5. Meanwhile boil the lasagna noodles according to the package instructions (if your noodles are oven-ready you can skip this step).
6. Prepare the bechamel:
   1. Heat the milk in a sauce pan and keep it warm at low heat.
   2. In another sauce pan melt the butter. Add flour and whisk until it forms a golden paste. Cook a couple of minutes
   3. Add the milk little by little and whisk constantly to avoid forming clumps. A white sauce will start to form as you keep adding the milk.
   4. Add a pinch of salt, pepper and nutmeg.
   5. Leave the sauce on the runny side, it will thicken a bit when it cooks again in the oven.
7. In an oven proof lasagna pan, layer the lasagna in this order: tomato sauce on the bottom, noodles, veggies, bechamel, cheese, and repeat: noodles, veggies, bechamel, cheese, noodles, tomato sauce, bechamel, cheese.
8. Bake at 375 F for 25 min, covered with aluminum foil. Do not let the foil touch the cheese or it will stick.
9. Uncover and bake 5 min more or until the cheese is golden.
10. Let rest 10 min before serving.

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Notes

If you use oven-ready lasagna noodles the cooking time might be a bit longer. Just follow the package instructions.

The number of lasagna noodles you will need will depend on the size of you baking pan.

If you prefer a lighter version of this lasagna you can totally omit the bechamel sauce and you will still have a wonderful lasagna.

If you want a vegan lasagna omit the bechamel and cheese and voila!

Keywords: vegetarian