Miss Menu is a pasta-person by nature. I swoon at orecchiette, lust over rigatoni and weep at a well-made gnocchi. So it’s no surprise that lasagna is one of my very favorite comfort foods.
My favorite versions of lasagna usually involve a rich and meaty tomato-based sauce, with plenty of Italian sausage and loads of mozzarella, ricotta and Parmesan cheese. Just last night, though, Miss Menu and her pal Cookbook Queen decided to take a break from tradition and throw together a vegetable lasagna to celebrate the long weekend.
A lovely béchamel sauce formed the backbone of this stellar–and I do mean stellar–dinner. The béchamel is a classic
French sauce made by creating a roux, a mixture of flour and butter that acts as a sauce thickener. Layers of veggies and a crispy, cheesy topping help make this a lasagna to remember.
The inspiration for this particular recipe came from a cookbook by Frank Stitt, a Birmingham, Ala. based chef who specializes in French-influenced, southern-style cuisine. His cookbooks are of the best kind, home to recipes that combine flavors in new ways; loads of mouthwatering photos; and tons of background information about the recipes and ingredients. I highly recommend that you invest in one to add to your own collection.
This lasagna was a meal in itself thanks to the loads of vegetables, noodles and rich sauce, but feel free to round it out with a quick salad.
Vegetable Lasagna
- 1 box no-bake lasagna noodles
- 2 cups béchamel sauce
- 3-4 zucchini, sliced very thinly
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 onions, chopped
- 1 leek, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 cups ricotta
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 10-ounce box frozen peas
- 1 pound mozzarella, sliced
- 1 1/2 cups grated Asiago
- Salt and pepper
Spread zucchini on one layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Coat with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 400 degrees for 5-8 minutes, until brown around the edges. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil and butter in a large pan. Add onions, garlic and leeks and sauté until onions are translucent, about 5-8 minutes.
In a small bowl, mix ricotta with cayenne and a good sprinkling of salt and pepper.
Bring a pot of water to boil. Add peas and boil for 30 seconds. Strain, then place in a food processor to create a puree.
Pour 1/3 of the béchamel in the bottom of a 9×13 pan. Add one layer of lasagna noodles, then add 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, 1/3 of the onion mixture, 1/3 of the zucchini slices, 1/3 of the pea mixture and 1/4 of the sliced mozzarella. Repeat the layering process two more times, starting from the lasagna noodle layer. Top with remaining mozarella slices and all of the grated Asiago, then drizzle top with remaining 2/3 béchamel sauce.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, then place under broiler for 5 minutes until browned and crispy on top. Let sit for 20 minutes before serving.
Adventures in Menu Making 