October means it’s finally cool enough to crank the oven and make some hearty, hefty, cozy comfort foods, right? At least in theory. At least in states other than California.
So…. lasagna time!
Probably the best thing about this vegetarian lasagna is that you can kind of tell yourself it’s healthy, thanks to the homemade tomato sauce and the finely chopped kale that decorate each layer of cheese and pasta.
For the sauce, we used our pizza sauce recipe, and just added some onions with the garlic at the beginning, and cut down the vinegar measurements a bit to keep it a little thicker. This time around we bought roasted red peppers for our layers, but you can also make your own if you want.
Vegetarian Lasagna (printable recipe here)
Ingredients
- 16 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 jar roasted red peppers (or make your own)
- 6-7 ounces kale
- 1 pound mozzarella cheese
- Parmesan cheese (amount will vary, depending on your taste)
- 1 box lasagna noodles
- Red sauce (try this one with at least 2 large cans of tomatoes, plus onions with the garlic, with less vinegar)
Directions
In a small bowl, stir the ricotta cheese and egg until smooth. Chop the peppers into bite-size pieces and finely chop the kale, in a food processor if you like. Tear the mozzarella into small pieces and grate the parmesan cheese.
Time to build the lasagna! Spread a layer of red sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 pan. Then cover with a layer of uncooked noodles, just slightly overlapping. You can break the noodles apart to fit your pan. Add another thin layer of sauce. Spread one third of the ricotta mixture onto the sauce, then one third of the peppers and half of the kale. Grate parmesan cheese onto the kale, and top with one third of the mozzarella. Repeat the layers. There will only be kale on the inside layers, not on the top, so skip that step on your third layer (but don’t skimp on the cheese!)
Now, preheat the over to 375˚ (or whatever is written on the pasta box, but don’t let it talk you into precooking the noodles if you want to avoid soggy lasagna). Let the lasagna sit for at least 30 minutes so the noodles can absorb the sauce. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil (but save it) and continue baking for 10 more minutes. Remove the lasagna from the oven, cover with the foil again, and let it rest for at least another 20 to 30 minutes, if you can stand the wait. Serve with salad and garlic bread!
Leftovers
Maybe the best part of lasagna! Store covered in the refrigerator for at least a few days.
P.S. Lasagne or lasagna?
The Leftovers Project 