Roasted Vegetable Lasagna With Spinach Ricotta Food

EASY ROASTED VEGETABLE LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
• Arrange zucchini, bell peppers, mushrooms, and onion wedges on prepared baking sheet. Scatter basil and garlic over vegetables and spray with cooking spray. Season with salt and black pepper.
• Bake in preheated oven until vegetables are lightly browned and tender, 10 to 25 minutes.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain.
• Bring pasta sauce to a simmer in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Mix mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese in a bowl.
• Pour about 1/3 cup pasta sauce in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Layer 3 lasagna noodles over sauce. Spread about of 1/4 the roasted vegetables over noodles and top with about 1/4 the sauce. Sprinkle 1/4 of the mozzarella-Parmesan cheese mixture over the sauce. Repeat layers 3 more times, ending with the cheese.
• Bake in preheated oven until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes. Allow lasagna to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

SPINACH AND RICOTTA LASAGNE

Steps:

• Make the filling: Drain the ricotta in a fine sieve set over a bowl for 1 hour (or longer if the ricotta is very wet). If using fresh spinach, stem and rinse it well (don't dry the leaves). In a 12 inch skillet over medium high heat, cook the spinach until wilted (3 to 5 minutes). Drain well and squeee out excess moisture and chop finely. If using thawed frozen spinach, squeeze it dry.
• Melt the butter in a 10 inch or 12 inch skillet over medim-low heat and add the onion. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Add the spinach and toss it for 1 to 2 minutes to coat it with the butter. Transfer the spinach mixture to a bowl and let it cool to room temperature. Add the ricotta, Parmigiano, eggs, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Mix well. You should have about 4 1/2 cups.
• Cook the noodles: If using dried lasagna noodles instead of fresh use 1 lb and skip these cooking instructions--cook according to package instructions. If cooking fresh: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare a large bowl of ice water. Slip the noodles, 2 or 3 at a time, into the boiling water and cook them until they're tender and pale (3 to 5 minutes). Thinner noodles will cook more frequently. To make sure they're done, taste a small piece. If it's still tough, it needs a little more cooking (fresh pasta should not be cooked al dente like dried pasta). Carefully scoop the noodles out of the pot with a large wire skimmer and slide them into the ice water to stop the cooking. When they're cool, layer them between clean dish towels until you're ready to assemble the lasagna (the noodles will keep this way for up to 2 hours).
• Make the Quick Tomato Sauce: In a 3 or 4 quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrot, celery, onion, parsley, basil, a generous pinch of salt, and a couple grinds of pepper. Cook until the vegetables are pale gold (10 to 12 minutes). Add the wine and cook until it evaporates, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices, stir well, and simmer gently to blend the flavors and reduce the sauce to about 4 1/2 cups, 15 to 20 minutes (adjust the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer). Season to taste with salt and pepper. If you want a smoother texture, pass the sauce through a food mill or puree in a food processor.
• Make the Basic Cream Sauce: In a 2-quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly for 2 to 3 minutes. Do not let the mixture brown. Slowly whisk in the hot milk and bring just to a simmer, whisking frequently. Reduce the heat to low and cook, whisking often, until the sauce has thickened to a creamy, gravy-like consistency and no longer tastes of raw flour, 6 to 8 minutes for a single batch, 10 to 12 minutes for a double batch (you only need 1 batch for this recipe). Remove from the heat and whisk in the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. If you don't use this sauce within 30 minutes it will thicken. Add a little warm milk and whisk to the sauce to thin it if necessary.
• Assemble the lasagna: Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350. Choose a 9x12x3 inch baking dish or 10x14x2 inch baking dish. Spread 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce in a sparse layer on the bottom of the baking dish. Cover the sauce with a slightly overlapping layer of cooked noodles, cutting them as needed to fill the gaps. With a spatula, spread one third of the spinach and ricotta filling (about 1 1/2 cups) over the first layer of noodles. Then spread one third of the remaining tomato sauce (about 1 1/3 cups) and one third (1/2 cup) of the cream sauce over the filling. Sprinkle 1/3 cup of the Parmigiano on top. Add a new layer of noodles, overlapping them slightly, and repeat the layers as instructed above, using all of the filling and ending with the Parmigiano, to make a total of 3 layers (you may not need all the pasta). Dot the top with the butter cubes.
• Put the baking dish on a baking sheet and bake until heated through and bubbling at the edges, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

ROAST VEGETABLE LASAGNE WITH SPINACH AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• Place the vegetables in a roasting dish, cover in the olive oil and brown sugar and season well with salt and pepper. Tear the basil over the top of the vegies.
• Roast at 180C for around 45 minutes.
• While the vegetables are roasting, make pasta sauce (if you are using homemade) and spinach/ricotta mix.
• For the spinach and ricotta mix, defrost the spinach in the microwave.
• Mix into the thawed spinach the ricotta, cubed feta and parmesan. Stir thoroughly and season with salt and pepper.
• Layer the lasagne as follows: Pasta sauce on the bottom, then lasagne sheet, ricotta mix, lasagne sheet, vegetables (minus the garlic cloves), lasagne sheet, ricotta mix, lasagne sheet, pasta sauce, cheddar cheese. Finish off with the second amount of parmesan over the top of the lasagne (this helps create a great golden colour and a delicious flavour once it's cooked). I also like to add another dash of cracked pepper to the top for good measure.
• Bake the lasagne at 180C for 30 - 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
• If you feel so inclined, you can use the roasted cloves of garlic to make garlic butter for homemade garlic bread. Yum!

ROAST VEGETABLE, SPINACH AND RICOTTA LASAGNA (MODIFIED)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180'C/350'F Grease a large baking dish. Cube the vegetables, place them in the dish, coat with 4 tablespoons of oil. Season with salt and pepper, and bake for 25-30 minutes or until they start to soften but still have some bite.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pan, add onion and garlic and sauté until onion is translucent. Add passata (or chopped tomatoes) and herbs and simmer for 10-30 minutes until thick. Remove from heat and stir through roasted vegetables.
• In a large bowl mash ricotta and feta cheese with a fork, and mix in the egg, nutmeg and basil. Blanch spinach in a pot of boiling water for 30 secs or until wilted. Drain and add to ricotta mixture. Leave aside.
• For the cheese sauce melt butter in a saucepan over a medium heat, add flour and stir until mixture becomes frothy. SLOWLY add milk, whisking as you go. Remove from heat, stir in the grated cheese and season with salt and pepper.
• Grease a large, deep baking dish. Spread half of the roast vegetable sauce over the bottom, and cover with a layer of lasagna noodles, trimming noodles to fit dish if needed.
• Spread the ricotta mix on top, followed by another layer of noodles. Spoon over remaining roast vegetable sauce, followed by a layer of noodles. Spread the cheese sauce on top, and sprinkle with extra grated cheese and parmesan.
• Bake at 200'C for 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving, or refrigerate overnight.

EASY VEGETARIAN SPINACH LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Spray a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain.
• Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add spinach, cover, and steam until tender, 2 to 6 minutes. Drain spinach.
• Mix spinach, ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, egg, nutmeg, basil, salt, and black pepper in a bowl until thoroughly combined.
• Spread 1/4 cup pasta sauce on the bottom of the prepared casserole dish; top with 3 lasagna noodles, 1/2 of the ricotta mixture, and 1/4 cup pasta sauce. Repeat layers of 3 more noodles, 1/2 cup ricotta mixture, and 1/4 cup pasta sauce. End with remaining 3 lasagna noodles and 1/4 cup pasta sauce. Sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese on top. Cover casserole with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Uncover casserole and continue baking until lasagna is bubbling and lightly browned, about 25 more minutes. Let lasagna stand 5 minutes before serving.

ROASTED CHICKEN LASAGNA WITH RICOTTA AND SPINACH (TASTE OF HOME)

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, cottage cheese, spinach, egg, oregano and back pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Prepare lasagna noodles according to package. Drain. Rinse. Rinse with cold water and drain again. Set aside.
• While noodles are boiling, remove skin from chicken and chop meat into bite size pieces. You should end up with about 3 1/2 cups of chicken. Set aside.
• Spray 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
• To assemble lasagna :.
• Spoon 1 cup sauce over bottom of pan.
• Arrange 4 noodles, 3 lengthwise, 1 crosswise over sauce.
• Top noodles with another 1c sauce
• Top with 1/3 of the chicken, 1/3 feta, 1/3 mozzarella and 1/3 of the olives.
• Arrange 4 more noodles over top, followed by 1c sauce, 1/3 of the chicken, all of the ricotta/spinach mixture, 1/3 feta, 1/3 mozzarella, and 1/3 olives. Repeat layering with remaining noodles, sauce, chicken, feta, mozzarella, and olives. Sprinkle parsley over top.
• Cover loosely with foil and bake at 375°F for 40 minute Remove foil and bake 5 more minutes. Let stand 10 min before serving.
• *** I know the layering sounds confusing. It isn't 1/3 c of each. It is a third of each. Like use one third of the chicken, one third of the feta cheese, and one third mozzarella etc for the layering. **.

GARDEN VEGETABLE LASAGNA

Steps:

• Cook lasagna noodles as directed on package. Drain; place in cold water to cool.
• Meanwhile, heat oven to 350°F. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add garlic, broccoli, mushrooms and bell pepper; cook 3 to 4 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. If necessary, cut broccoli into smaller pieces.
• Beat egg in small bowl with wire whisk. Add ricotta cheese and Italian seasoning; mix well.
• Drain cooled lasagna noodles. Spread 1/2 cup of the pasta sauce in ungreased 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish. Top with 4 noodles, overlapping as necessary, half of ricotta mixture, half of cooked vegetables, half of remaining pasta sauce (about 2 1/4 cups) and 1 cup of the shredded cheese. Repeat layers, starting with noodles.
• Bake at 350°F. for 45 to 50 minutes or until hot and bubbly. If cheese is getting too brown, cover baking dish loosely with foil. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

LASAGNA WITH SPINACH, RICOTTA AND FONTINA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400*. Rinse spinach and place in a saucepan with water still clinging to its leaves. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until wilted. Drain, refresh under cold water, squeeze out all excess liquid. Chop finely. Cook lasagna sheets in plenty of boiling salted water, until tender but still firm to the bite, drain, and pat dry with kitchen towels.
• Brush a 12x8-inch ovenproof dish with a little of the melted butter. In a bowl, combine the spinach, Fontina (or Gruyere), Parmesan, Ricotta, cream cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
• Cover the base of the dish with a later of lasagna sheets and spread with 3 tablespoons of the spinach mixture. Repeat layering until all the lasagna is used, making no more than 6 layers. Finish with the remaining spinach mixture. Drizzle with the remaining melted butter, then cook for 20-30 minutes, until golden brown.