If you look the word adapt up in the dictionary you will find that it means to make suitable to requirements or conditions, adjust or modify fittingly.
This recipe for Roasted Vegetable Lasagne is a result of my efforts to create a lasagne which would appeal to my husband’s tastes. I may have mentioned before that unlike me he is not a cheese lover. With the exception of jarlsberg (don’t ask me why), mozzarella, and parmesan (especially on pizza and chicken parmesan), he prefers his dishes cheeseless. In trying to come up with a vegetable lasagne that he would like I took the fact that he eats mozzarella and ran with it. Instead of the traditional ricotta cheese mixture used in many lasagnes I decided to make a similar blend, but with mozzarella replacing the ricotta. Additionally, I used only vegetables that he likes, and I made a Classic American-Style Tomato Sauce because he loves his red sauce…no bechamel for him!
We both agree I came up with a pretty good tasting lasagne. The best part is when my husband asked as he often does when he thinks I may have snuck something in there he doesn’t like,“ By the way, what’s in this?”, I could answer honestly, “Everything you like, honey!”
So here is my version of Roasted Vegetable Lasagne (13 x 9 x 2 inch pan)
(adapted from Lasagne with Oven-Roasted Vegetables from the Pasta Cookbook from Food and Wine Books)
1 red bell pepper, cut into ¾ inch squares
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into ¾ inch squares
3 zucchini, cut into ¾ inch dice
3 yellow summer squash, cut into ¾ inch dice
½ pound each of white mushroom and Baby Bella mushrooms, cut into ¾ inch dice
2 shallots, unpeeled, halved lengthwise
1 sprig fresh rosemary, or ¼ teaspoon dried
3 tablespoon olive oil
1 and ¾ teaspoons kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1 cup (about ½ pound) fresh mozzarella cheese, diced
½ pound mozzarella cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Pinch grated nutmeg
1 egg
2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped
Enough milk to thin, if necessary
¾ pound dry lasagne noodles (no boil is fine)
5 cups Classic-American Style Tomato Sauce (recipe follows)
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. On a large rimmed sheet pan, combine the bell peppers, zucchini,summer squash, shallots and rosemary. Toss with the oil, 1 and ¼ teaspoons salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Roast, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 25 minutes.
In a separate skillet saute the mushrooms, seasoned with a little salt and pepper, until browned. Set aside.
When vegetables are done, discard the rosemary sprig, if using, and combine the cooked mushrooms with the vegetables. When the shallots are cool enough to handle, peel and chop them. Combine the chopped shallots, diced fresh mozzarella, 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan, the nutmeg, egg, chopped parsley, and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Mash the fresh mozzarella into the mixture, and add enough milk just to blend.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray baking pan with non-stick baking spray or lightly oil the bottom of the pan. Spread about 1 cup tomato sauce over the bottom of the pan. Lay several sheets of pasta overlapping on the sauce. Dot with about half the mozzarella mixture.
Spread half of the roasted vegetables on top of the cheese.
Pour about 1 cup of the sauce over the vegetables. Top the sauce with a second layer of pasta. dot with the remaining mozzarella mixture and 1 cup of the grated mozzarella. Cover with the remaining vegetables and about 1 cup of the sauce. Top the sauce with a final layer of pasta and the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of grated mozzarella and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan.
Cover tightly with a sheet of parchment paper and a sheet of aluminum foil over the parchment paper. Bake, covered until bubbly, about 50-60 minutes. Uncover, and continue cooking until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.
Classic American-Style Tomato Sauce
This recipe also comes from the Pasta Cookbook from Food and Wine Books. It is a thick, robust and fragrant sauce with thyme, oregano and bay. It is great served over spaghetti on its own, with meatballs, or as in this case, lasagne.
This recipe makes about 2 and ½ cups. For the lasagne you will need 5 cups, doubling the recipe below.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced (I use 4 cloves)
2 and ½ cups canned crushed tomatoes
¾ cup water
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 and ½ teaspoons sugar
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1 and ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, water, tomato paste, sugar thyme, oregano, bay leaf, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until thickened, for about 1 hour. Add the pepper.
Note: Although higher priced, I believe imported canned tomatoes are worth the money. If you can find them on sale, better yet. Here’s why. In general they are less watery and more flavorful. Most are packed in enamel-lined cans, which eliminate the metallic taste that tomatoes pick up so easily. The difference between sauces made with tomatoes from lined and unlined cans is astounding. The better the flavor, the better the sauce.
When you’re done dumping the tomatoes out of those enamel lined cans, don’t throw them away. After rinsing them carefully, with the label intact, keep them to use as utensil holders for outdoor entertaining. The designs are so colorful they really can add a lot to your tablescape for a picnic or an Italian themed party.
