Roasted Garden Vegetable Lasagna

If your garden is producing a few extra-large zucchini, then this recipe is for you!  Using those big veggies for good, this roasted garden vegetable lasagna turns zucchini into noodles. 



And, there are 9 vegetables in this lasagna.

But who’s counting. 



Roasted Garden Vegetable Lasagna

Ingredients

• 1 –2 extra large zucchini*
• 1 medium green bell pepper
• 1 medium red bell pepper
• 8 oz. baby bella mushrooms
• 3-4 C fresh spinach
• 1 (14oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 2 C baby carrots
• 1 small onion
• 1 head garlic
• 1 (8oz) can tomato paste
• 1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 24 oz. cottage cheese
• 2 oz. Mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 2 oz. Monterrey jack cheese, shredded
• Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Begin by slicing your zucchini the long way into long thin layers – about 1/4 inch thick.

Place these zucchini strips into a 9x13 glass baking dish. Sprinkle with sea salt and allow the zucchini and salt to sit together for about 20 minutes. 

This salting phase removes much of the liquid in the zucchini – and you’ll be thankful for that later.  Rinse the zucchini after 20 minutes, and pat each slice dry.

Then, place the zucchini strips onto a lightly greased cookie sheet.  Spray the zucchini lightly with olive oil and the season with a few shakes of Italian seasoning. 

Place the zucchini in an oven heated to 450 degrees.



Allow the zucchini to roast – about 10 minutes, and then flip them over to roast the other side.  If any of your zucchini slices are thinner than others, check on the roasting zucchini to make sure they don’t get overdone.  If they do, just nibble on those! 



In a large baking dish, toss the diced up bell peppers, quartered mushrooms, quartered onion with 1 T olive oil.  Season with Italian seasoning and pepper. 

Add in 1 large garlic clove {slice the top off} and make sure that is coated with oil too.

Place these veggies in the oven with the zucchini and roast for about 15 minutes.



Meanwhile, lightly steam the 2 C of carrots; you don’t want them mushy, but it’s better if they aren’t super hard either.  Then, using a food processor, finely chop the carrots.  Alternatively, you can chop them first and then steam them; just pour off any water before using them. 

In a large saucepan, combine drained tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, carrots, basil and oregano.  {if you don’t have onion, or prefer onion flakes, add those here}



Bring the dish to a simmer and cook for about 10-15 minutes until bubbly and thick.  You want this sauce to have as little water as possible!



When the veggies and zucchini are roasted, remove these from the oven and decrease the oven temperature to 400.



Allow the zucchini to cool enough that they can be handled. 

Carefully remove the roasted garlic clove from the veggie mixture, and carefully {they will be HOT!} pop the garlic out of the skins and add these all into the tomato mixture.  Stir to combine.
 
Then, remove the tomato mix from the heat.   



At this point, gather up the cottage cheese, fresh washed spinach, and shredded cheeses.  You’re just about ready to assemble! 

To begin, lightly grease a lasagna (or 9x13) pan.

Using a ladle, cover the bottom of the pan with the tomato carrot mixture. 

Then, layer the zucchini as “noodles” over the sauce. 



Top that with 1/3 of the cottage cheese, 1/3 of the spinach and 1/3 of the roasted veggies. 



Then, add more tomato-carrot sauce, zucchini “noodles”, and the next 1/3 of the cottage cheese, spinach and the roasted veggies. 



Repeat the layers one more time. 

If you still have zucchini left, add those at this point over the top of the roasted veggies.  If not, just add the final layer of sauce over the top. 

Sprinkle with cheese. 



Place in the oven, uncovered, and bake at 400 for 30-45 minutes until bubbly and cheese is lightly browned.
 


Allow the lasagna to sit for 15 minutes before slicing to serve.  Use a good knife to cut the slices because the zucchini is “harder” to cut through than typical lasagna noodles. 



*You’ll want enough zucchini slices to act as noodles – three layers worth.  Plan accordingly. 

Linked to: melt in your mouth monday, mangia monday, recipe sharing monday, slightly indulgent tuesday, kitchen tip tuesday, what’s on your plate? URS, works for me wednesday, these chicks cook, ingredient spotlight x2

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