Meatless Lasagna

MEATLESS LASAGNA adapted from ( Recipes for a Small Planet)

lasagna noodles, cooked

1 med onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 28oz canned tomatoes

1+ lb. mushrooms, chopped (I use a variety. Recipe calls for white button)

1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup ricotta

1 cup cottage cheese (I have used 2 cups of cottage cheese & no ricotta before)

1 egg

1/2 cup parm cheese

3/4 lb mozzarella cheese, shredded

any herbs you may have on hand (Recipe calls for dried oregano, basil, & parsley)

Pre-cook noodles, set aside. Saute' onions & garlic. Add tomatoes, herbs, mushrooms and kidney beans. Simmer on low for 30 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine ricotta, cottage cheese and egg. (I also add some Locatelli or parm to the mixture, your choice.) Layer lasagna. A tiny bit of sauce, noodles, 1/3 of remaining sauce,1/3 of the ricotta/cottage cheese mixture, 1/3 mozz.cheese, 1/3 parm. cheese, noodles. Repeat with 2 more layers, ending with parm cheese. Bake @ 375* for 30 minutes.

The "Hearty Vegetable Lasagna w/ Mushrooms" can be found on: justveggingout.com. I did make a few changes. I added a ricotta layer when layering, although it's not necessary. Used a variety of mushrooms...shitake, portabellas, white button, etc. Changed out the yellow squash layer, using zucchini slices instead. Used 2 eggplants, not just one. I have a mandoline, so I used long slices of all of the veggies, instead of small slices as pictured on the site. Another big change with the veggies is I did not saute' them in a pan. I baked the slices in the oven til they were soft, about 10 minutes. This is my new favorite. Enjoy!!! (thanks Nathalie)

LASAGNA

1. 1. 1 tablespoon olive oil
   2. 1 medium onion, chopped fine
   3. 6 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press
   4. 1/3 pound ground beef chuck
   5. 1/3 pound ground veal (see note)
   6. 1/3 pound ground pork
   7. 1/2 teaspoon table salt
   8. 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
   9. 1/4 cup heavy cream
   10. 1 (28 ounce) can tomato puree
   11. 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
   12. 15 ounces ricotta cheese (whole milk or part skim)
   13. 2 1/2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
   14. 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
   15. 1 large egg, lightly beaten
   16. 1/2 teaspoon table salt
   17. 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
   18. 12 no-boil lasagna noodles
   19. 16 ounces whole milk mozzarella, shredded

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Heat oil in large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes; add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and add ground meats, salt, and pepper; cook, breaking meat into small pieces with wooden spoon, until meat loses its raw color but has not browned, about 4 minutes. Add cream and simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates and only fat remains, about 4 minutes. Add pureed and drained diced tomatoes and bring to simmer; reduce heat to low and simmer slowly until flavors are blended, about 3 minutes; set sauce aside. (Sauce can be cooled, covered, and refrigerated for up to 2 days; reheat before assembling lasagna.)
3. Mix ricotta, 1 cup Parmesan, basil, egg, salt, and pepper in medium bowl with fork until well-combined and creamy; set aside.
4. Smear entire bottom of 9- by 13-inch baking dish with 1/4 cup meat sauce. Place 3 noodles on top of sauce. Drop 3 tablespoons ricotta mixture down center of each noodle. Level by pressing flat with back of measuring spoon. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup shredded mozzarella. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce evenly over cheese.
5. Repeat layering of noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, and sauce two more times. Place 3 remaining noodles on top of sauce, spread remaining sauce over noodles, sprinkle with remaining cup mozzarella, then with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. Lightly spray a large sheet of foil with nonstick cooking spray and cover lasagna. Bake 15 minutes, then remove foil. Return lasagna to oven and continue to bake until cheese is spotty brown and sauce is bubbling, about 25 minutes longer. Cool lasagna about 10 minutes; cut into pieces and serve.

Yield: 6 servings

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