Lasagna

I've loved Lasagna as long as I can remember. So, to make the beginning of the week a little easier, here are six vegetarian lasagna recipes to help you through the day, including Simple Vegetarian Spinach Lasagna and White Lasagna. Enjoy!

VEGETABLE RAGU ZUCCHINI LASAGNA

This is from Betty Crocker, and begins, "This meatless lasagna gets hefty texture and bold flavor from a veggie-packed ragu and layers of zucchini 'noodles.'"

Prep 30 min, Total 1 hr 15 min; Servings 6

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated

1/2 of a small white onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

4 cups fresh spinach

1 jar Muir Glen™ organic pasta sauce (any variety)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

3 medium zucchini

1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg

4 cups shredded fresh mozzarella cheese (16 oz)

Fresh basil, as desired

Directions

In 10-inch skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Cook garlic and onion in oil about 5 minutes or until soft. Add bell pepper; cook 5 minutes. Add spinach; cook until spinach is wilted. Stir in pasta sauce, salt and pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until thickened.

Meanwhile, cut zucchini into 1/8-inch slices using knife or mandolin. Sprinkle zucchini with salt; set aside 10 minutes. Zucchini has a lot of water when cooked; salting it takes out a lot of moisture. Blot off excess moisture with paper towel.

Heat gas or charcoal grill. Place zucchini on grill over high heat. Cover grill; cook until lightly charred on both sides. Again, use a paper towel to blot excess moisture.

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) baking dish with cooking spray.

In medium bowl, mix ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese and egg.

Spread some of the red sauce in bottom of baking dish; layer with enough zucchini to cover. Next, spread with half of the ricotta cheese mixture; top with half of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers until ingredients are used up, making sure to top off with sauce and mozzarella. Cover with foil.

Bake about 45 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted. Let stand about 10 minutes before serving. Top with fresh basil.

Tips from the Betty Crocker Kitchens

tip 1

You want the sauce to be thick and not at all watery.

tip 2

To make a heartier lasagna, just add 1 lb lean ground beef or turkey to the sauce mixture.

SIMPLE VEGETARIAN SPINACH LASAGNA

This is from Vicki Shanta Retelny, RDN on the VeryWellFit site. Vicki wrote, “There's nothing like lasagna to soothe a craving for a creamy, dreamy meal. With a foundation of vitamin C-rich tomato sauce, which is loaded with the carotenoid lycopene, this Italian classic takes on a healthy bend with a good dose veggies nestled in its layers.

“Chock full of leafy green spinach, this dish is good for your brain health, as eating a serving of veggies each day has shown to fend off cognitive decline. Spinach is also loaded with iron and calcium for a total body wellness boost.”

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 45 minutes; Total Time: 65 minutes; Servings: 9 (1 cup each)

To view this online, go to https://www.verywellfit.com/vegetarian-spinach-lasagna-4144632.

Ingredients

1 package no-boil lasagna noodles

2 28-ounce cans tomato sauce

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon oregano

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 15-ounce container part-skim ricotta cheese

1 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, grated

3 cups raw baby spinach leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven the 350F.

On the stovetop over medium heat, pour the tomato sauce into a saucepan. Add salt, oregano, and garlic. Bring to a light boil, lower the heat, and simmer for a few minutes. Stir occasionally.

On the bottom of a 9x13 pan put a layer of tomato sauce. Place a layer of noodles on top, covering the bottom of the pan. Spread ricotta cheese on top of the noodles, top with spinach, and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and coat with a small ladle full of sauce. Repeat the layers until you get to the top of the pan. Sprinkle the final layer with mozzarella cheese.

Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is golden brown on top.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a 10 minutes before serving.

Ingredient Variations and Substitutions

Make this dish higher in fiber with whole wheat noodles, although they may only be available in the boil variety. Add other vegetables such a sliced carrots, zucchini, or eggplant. For an alternative green, use baby kale or arugula. Spread pesto between the layers or incorporate it into the tomato sauce for a rich, nutty flavor.

If you want to add meat, add cooked, diced chicken breast or ground turkey to the sauce. For a non-dairy twist, use vegan cheese in lieu of ricotta and mozzarella cheese.

Cooking and Serving Tips

To save time use no-boil lasagna noodles—they're quick and easy to assemble. Plus, the part-skim ricotta cheese and mozzarella reduce the fat but still offer good-quality protein.

This dish can be assembled and placed, uncooked and covered, in the refrigerator overnight. Simply heat and serve the next day. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer in an airtight container.

GARDEN-STYLE LASAGNA

This recipe is by Cooking Light and posted on MyRecipes. It begins, "Vegetable lasagna is a crowd-pleaser and a classic make-ahead dish. You can use precut onions, matchstick-cut carrots, and broccoli, in addition to precooked noodles, to speed up preparation. If you make it ahead, let it cool completely, then cover and chill. The next day, heat single servings in the microwave. Freeze leftovers for dinner."

Makes 12 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/garden-style-lasagna.

Ingredients

Cooking spray

2 cups chopped onion

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons olive oil, divided

2 cups chopped zucchini (about 8 ounces)

2 cups chopped yellow squash (about 8 ounces)

2 cups thinly sliced carrot (about 8 ounces)

2 cups chopped broccoli (about 6 ounces)

1 teaspoon salt, divided

1/2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2-1/4 ounces)

3-1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk

1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Dash of nutmeg

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1-1/2 cups 1% low-fat cottage cheese

2 cups (8 ounces) preshredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

12 precooked lasagna noodles, divided

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°.

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Spoon onion mixture into a large bowl.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and yellow squash; sauté 4 minutes or until tender and just beginning to brown. Add to onion mixture.

Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add sliced carrot; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add chopped broccoli; sauté 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add to onion mixture. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt; toss well to combine.

Place flour in a medium saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook 2 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg; stir until smooth. Stir in spinach.

Combine cottage cheese and 1-1/2 cups mozzarella; stir well. Spread 1/2 cup spinach mixture in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 4 noodles over spinach mixture in dish; top with half of cottage cheese mixture (about 1-1/2 cups), half of vegetable mixture (about 2-1/2 cups), and about 1 cup spinach mixture. Repeat layers, ending with noodles. Spread remaining spinach mixture over noodles; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella.

Cover and bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

SPINACH LASAGNA

This comes from the January 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times, and begins, "'Many people don't know that the crock inside a slow cooker is ovenproof and you can transfer a dish like lasagna into the oven (up to 400°F) for 10 minutes to brown the top,' says Golino. Just be sure the pot is hot, to avoid drastic temperature changes that can cause it to crack." Serves 8.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 medium onion, quartered

1 cup fresh basil leaves

1 Tbs. dried oregano

2 cloves garlic, peeled, plus 1 clove minced (1 tsp.), divided

1 8-oz. pkg. tempeh, cut into chunks

1 28-oz. can chopped fire-roasted tomatoes

2 Tbs. olive oil, plus more for oiling slow cooker

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

2 10-oz. pkgs. frozen spinach, thawed and drained

8 oven-ready lasagna noodles

1 16-oz. jar roasted red peppers, rinsed and drained

1 16-oz. container low-fat ricotta cheese, divided

1 cup grated Swiss cheese, divided

Directions

Place onion, basil, oregano, and 2 whole garlic cloves in food processor; pulse 6 times, or until onion and garlic are chopped. Add tempeh, and pulse until tempeh is ground. Add tomatoes, oil, salt, and pepper; pulse until chunky sauce forms.

Combine spinach and minced garlic in bowl, and season with salt and pepper.

Coat bottom and sides of 4-quart slow cooker with oil. Spread 1 cup tomato sauce over bottom, and cover with layer of lasagna noodles, breaking them in pieces to fit around edges. Spread 3/4 cup spinach mixture over top. Place 1 layer roasted red peppers over spinach, and top with 3/4 cup ricotta. Spread 1 cup tomato sauce over ricotta. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup Swiss cheese. Repeat, layering noodles, spinach, peppers, ricotta, Swiss cheese, and tomato sauce. Top with 1 more layer noodles and remaining spinach, tomato sauce, ricotta, and Swiss cheese.

Cook 4 hours on high or 6 hours on low. Let stand uncovered 10 minutes before serving.

nutritional information Per SERVING: Calories: 322; Protein: 22 g; Total Fat: 14 g; Saturated Fat: 5.5 g; Carbohydrates: 32 g; Cholesterol: 31 mg; Sodium: 762 mg; Fiber: 6 g; Sugar: 8 g

WHITE LASAGNA

This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. For this recipe, Melissa wrote, "Made without any Bolognese or tomato sauce, a white lasagna is a celebration of pasta and vegetables bound together by a creamy béchamel. This version, brimming with herbs, spinach, asparagus and peas, is an ode to spring, like a baked pasta primavera in its richest form. Serve it in small squares as a first or pasta course, as it’s served in Italy, or in more substantial slabs as a meatless main course. It’s a bit of a project, so if you want to work ahead, you can make the béchamel up to a week in advance and store it in the refrigerator. The baked lasagna can also be made ahead and refrigerated for up to two days. Reheat, covered, in a 350-degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes."

Time: 3 hours 15 minutes; Yield: 6 main course or 12 appetizer or side-dish servings

This recipe was featured in "Turn Your Pasta Primavera Into a Lasagna", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024166-white-lasagna.

Ingredients

For the Béchamel

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

4 cups whole milk, plus more if needed

1 teaspoon fine sea or table salt, plus more to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

2 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced

For the Filling

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

Fine sea or table salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup frozen peas (no need to thaw)

1 cup combination of soft herbs (parsley, chives, basil, dill), finely chopped, plus more for garnish

2 leeks, white and light green parts, cleaned and thinly sliced

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

8 ounces baby spinach or baby greens, like kale or arugula (about 8 cups), chopped

1 lemon, zested and juiced

32 ounces whole-milk ricotta (about 4 cups)

1-1/2 cups grated Parmesan

3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano

12 ounces dried lasagna noodles (about 12 noodles), or substitute the same amount of no-boil, oven-ready or fresh noodles; all will work

8 ounces whole-milk mozzarella, thinly sliced

Preparation

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with a little butter.

Prepare the béchamel: In a large saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Once melted, add flour and whisk until combined. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until pale golden. Slowly whisk in the milk, a little at a time, so that the sauce does not clump. Add the salt, nutmeg and bay leaf. Gently bring to a simmer and let cook for 9 to 12 minutes, whisking often, until the béchamel is thick but still pourable. Stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan and grated garlic, and taste, adding more salt if needed.

While the béchamel is cooking, start preparing the filling: Place a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Let it heat until it thins out, about 30 seconds, then add the asparagus and sauté, shaking the pan, until crisp-tender, 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then transfer to a medium bowl and stir in the frozen peas and 2 tablespoons herbs.

Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the pan and heat until the oil thins out, about 30 seconds, then add the leeks, fennel seeds, red-pepper flakes and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Sauté leeks until tender and golden at the edges, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the spinach and remaining herbs, working in batches if needed, and sauté until the greens are very tender and the pan is very dry, about 10 minutes. Stir in lemon zest and juice. Taste and add more salt if needed. It should be well seasoned.

Add mixture to a large bowl. Stir in ricotta and 3/4 cup each Parmesan and pecorino (save remaining Parmesan for the top). Taste and add more salt if needed.

Remove bay leaf from béchamel, then ladle some of the sauce into the bottom of the baking pan until just covered. Place as many noodles as will fit on top of the béchamel, breaking or cutting them to fit in one layer. Ladle a little more béchamel on top of the noodles, covering the surface. Add half of the ricotta mixture, spreading evenly, then sprinkle half of the asparagus-pea mixture on top. Add another layer of noodles, then béchamel, then the remaining ricotta mixture, then the remaining asparagus-pea mixture. Top with the sliced mozzarella. Add a third and final layer of noodles (don’t worry if you don’t end up using all of the noodles) and cover with remaining béchamel. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan.

Cover the pan with foil and place on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove foil. Bake for another 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbling on top. (If the top is still pale, you can run the lasagna under the broiler for 1 to 3 minutes.) Let sit for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.

SLOW-COOKER VEGETABLE LASAGNA

This is from Eating Well. It begins, "This vegetarian lasagna couldn't be easier, thanks to jarred pasta sauce and no-boil lasagna noodles. Prep it in the morning and let your crock pot do the work."

Prep Time: 30 minutes; Additional Time: 6 hours; Total Time: 6 hours 30 minutes; Servings: 8; Yield: 8 cups

To view this online, go to https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/269112/slow-cooker-vegetable-lasagna/.

Ingredients

1 large red bell pepper, chopped

4 ounces cremini mushrooms (about 3 large), chopped

2 cups packed baby spinach, coarsely chopped

1 (24 ounce) jar low-sodium red pasta sauce, any flavor

1 (15 ounce) can no-sodium-added diced tomatoes, undrained

15 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided

8 ounces oven-ready lasagna noodles (about 9 total)

2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Directions

Combine bell pepper, mushrooms, and spinach in a medium bowl. Combine pasta sauce, tomatoes, ricotta, and 1/2 cup Parmesan in a large bowl.

Spread 1 cup of the sauce mixture in a 6-qt. slow cooker. Place 3 noodles over the sauce, breaking them as needed to fit in one layer. Spread another 1 cup sauce over the pasta. Layer on one-third of the vegetable mixture, 3 more noodles, and 1 cup sauce. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup mozzarella. Continue layering one-third of the vegetables, 1 cup sauce, 1/2 cup mozzarella, and the remaining noodles. Top with a final layer of the remaining vegetables, the remaining sauce, and the remaining 1 cup mozzarella.

Cover and cook on Low for 5 hours.

Turn off and unplug the slow cooker. Let the lasagna stand, covered, for 1 hour (see Tip). Serve topped with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan and basil.

Tips

Tip: To prevent condensation building up on the underside of the lid during the 1-hour rest time, place a paper towel under the lid during the rest time.

Equipment: 6-qt. slow cooker