Grilled Vegetable And Tofu Lasagna With Pesto Food

GRILLED VEGETABLE AND TOFU "LASAGNA" WITH PESTO

Steps:

• Make the marinade: Heat oil, lemon zest, and garlic in a small saucepan until bubbling around the edges. Remove from heat, and let cool completely. Stir in lemon juice. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Make the pesto: Puree pine nuts and garlic in a food processor until a paste forms. Add basil, and pulse to combine. With machine running, pour in oil through feed tube until pureed. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat grill to medium. Assemble the "lasagna": Arrange tofu on a double layer of paper towels. Cover with another double layer of paper towels, then cover with a baking sheet. (Weigh it down with 2 cans or something else equally heavy.) Let stand for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, brush zucchini and squash slices with oil, and season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Grill, flipping occasionally, until softened and slightly charred, about 8 minutes. Remove from grill. Whisk marinade, and drizzle half of it generously over zucchini and squash slices.
• Repeat with tofu and remaining marinade, flipping occasionally, until nicely charred, about 3 minutes. Let cool slightly. Slice tofu horizontally into 1/8-inch-thick sheets (they will be layered, so don't worry if they fall apart).
• Lay 3 slices each of zucchini and squash on a platter to form a 6 1/2-by-8-inch rectangle. Spread 3 tablespoons pesto over tops. Cover with a layer of tofu, and season with salt and pepper. Top with a layer of tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Top with 6 large basil leaves. Repeat layering twice (zucchini and squash, pesto, tofu, tomatoes, basil). Serve cold or at room temperature.

GRILLED VEGETABLE LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and position one of the racks in the center.
• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and bay leaf and cook for about 30 seconds, then add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste and wine. Season with parsley, sugar, Italian seasoning, ground fennel, salt and pepper. Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Heat a cast-iron grill pan over medium-high heat. Add the squash and zucchini to a large bowl, and toss with the extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Add the vegetables to the grill pan in a single layer, working in batches if necessary. Grill until softened and there are grill marks, about 4 minutes per side.
• Mix the ricotta with the milk, Parmesan, egg, 1 cup mozzarella and a few pinches salt and pepper in a large bowl. Set aside.
• Spread a thin layer of the pasta sauce (about a third) on the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add a layer of noodles (about 5), breaking to cover the entire dish in a single layer. Layer on half of the grilled veg, then half of the ricotta mixture and another third of sauce. Repeat the layers, finishing with the veg on top. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on top in an even layer. Place the whole basil leaves on top.
• Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until lightly browned on top, another 15 to 20 minutes. Let rest for about 10 minutes before slicing.

GRILLED LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat a grill to medium. Combine the mozzarella, parmesan, red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and all but 1/4 teaspoon garlic in a bowl; drizzle with olive oil and toss. Season the sliced tomatoes with salt. Lay out 4 double-layer sheets of nonstick foil. Drizzle each with olive oil, top with 1 noodle and sprinkle each noodle with 1 tablespoon water. Divide half each of the spinach, sliced tomatoes and mozzarella mixture among the noodles. Repeat to make another layer of noodles, water, spinach, tomatoes and mozzarella mixture. Finish each stack with a noodle, 1 tablespoon water and a drizzle of olive oil. Bring the foil together and crimp tightly closed to make 4 flat packets. Grill the packets, covered, until tender, about 10 minutes per side. Let rest 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the grated tomatoes, a pinch of salt, the reserved 1/4 teaspoon garlic and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a bowl. Open the packets and cut the lasagna in half, if desired. Top with the tomato mixture, ricotta and herbs.

VEGGIE PESTO LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the yellow squash and zucchini and cook, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes more. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce; bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Add salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar, if necessary.
• In a large bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, spinach, pesto and season with pepper.
• Grease the bottom and sides of your lasagna dish with butter. Spread a little of the tomato sauce on the bottom of the pan. Lay 4 noodles across the bottom of the baking dish, overlapping by 1/2-inch. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta and pesto mixture evenly on top. Sprinkle with about a 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Ladle about 1 cup of sauce on top. Repeat layering in the same order. Layer the top layer of noodles and drizzle with the remaining sauce, then sprinkle with the Parmesan and remaining mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake in the center of the oven until the sauce is bubbling around the edges, about 40 minutes. Uncover and bake 5 minutes more. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

ROASTED VEGETABLE LASAGNA WITH PESTO CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease or line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Arrange zucchini, bell pepper, broccoli, and carrots in a single layer on the baking sheet. Coat with olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper; mix well.
• Roast vegetables in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 40 minutes.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line the bottom of a 9x13-inch casserole dish with one layer of lasagna noodles.
• Toss the roasted vegetables with Alfredo sauce and pesto until well coated. Spread mixture over the noodles in the dish. Place another layer of noodles over the vegetables.
• Mix ricotta cheese, 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, and spinach together and spread mixture over the noodle layer. Distribute mozzarella cheese evenly over the ricotta layer. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and oregano on top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until heated through and cheese is melted, 30 to 35 minutes. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes to lightly brown the top layer, if desired.

GRILLED VEGETABLE LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat grill.
• Coat eggplants and zucchini with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1/2 t salt and 1/4 t pepper. Grill eggplant and zucchini 1 1/2 min on each side or just until tender. Cool; combine in a large bowl.
• Place bell peppers on grill, skin-side down; grill 3 min or til tender. Cut into 1 inch wide strips. Add bell peppers to eggplant mixture.
• Combine ricotta, egg, 1/2 c asiago, basil, parsley, remaining 1/2 t salt, and 1/2 t pepper.
• Cook pasta according to pkg.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Spread 1/2 c sauce on bottom of 13x9 baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 3 noodles over sauce. Top with half of the eggplant mixture. Spread half of ricotta mixture over eggplant mixture; sprinkle with 1/4 c mozzarella.
• Arrange 3 noodles and 1 c sauce over cheese; cover with remaining eggplant mixture. Top with remaining ricotta mixture. Spread pesto over ricotta; sprinkle with 1/4 c mozzarella. Cover with remaining 3 noodles. Spoon 1 c sauce over noodles. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 c asiago and mozzarella.
• Bake at 375°F for 1 hour. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

PESTO LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add lasagna and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• In large skillet over medium heat, saute onion in the olive oil until tender. Add spinach and stir. Remove from heat and stir in the pesto. In a large bowl mix ricotta cheese, egg, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
• In a 3 quart greased baking dish, layer the noodles then the spinach mixture, followed by the ricotta mixture. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Repeat the layers ending with noodles on top. Spread the Alfredo sauce over the top and sprinkle with parmesan.
• Cover with foil and bake in a preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes.