Veggie Lasagna With Meat Food

WORLD'S BEST (NOW VEGETARIAN!) LASAGNA

Steps:

• Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in plant-based sausage, meat substitute crumbles, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, 1 tablespoon parsley, sugar, basil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add lasagna noodles; cook 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and rinse noodles with cold water.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Meanwhile, stir together egg, ricotta, remaining 2 tablespoons parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl.
• To assemble lasagna, spread 1/3 of the sauce in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over sauce. Spread with 1/2 of the ricotta mixture. Top with 1/3 of the mozzarella slices. Spoon 1/3 of the sauce over mozzarella and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan. Repeat layers and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
• Bake, covered with cooking spray-coated foil, for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake until hot and bubbly, about 25 minutes more. Cool for 15 minutes before slicing into 12 equal servings.

BEEF AND VEGETABLE LASAGNE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F).
• Heat oil, saute onion and garlic for 2 minutes.
• Remove approx half to a saucepan, heat and add mushrooms, canned tomatoes, zucchini, 1 tablespoon of the tomato paste, carrot, pepper and basil.
• Stir over a low heat for 20 minutes until sauce thickens.
• Meanwhile, add minced beef to the remaining onion and garlic and stir till pink colour is gone.
• Add fresh tomatoes, remaining tomato paste and stock and simmer 10 mins or until cheese sauce completed.
• Melt butter in a saucepan, remove from heat.
• Add flour, stir with a wooden spoon.
• Replace on low heat and heat for 30 seconds, stirring continuously.
• Remove from heat and add milk gradually, stirring vigourously, until smooth.
• Replace on heat and stir till boiling.
• Reduce heat and stir 1 minute.
• Add mustard, stir well, remove from heat and add 1/2 cup grated cheese. Put lid on saucepan.
• Place a layer of vegetable sauce on bottom of a large lasagne pan.
• Cover sauce with lasagne noodles, then spinach, then meat sauce, then noodles again.
• Continue with layers until used up. Final layer should be lasagne.
• Cover with cheese sauce and sprinkle with remaining grated cheese.
• Bake for 30 mins until cheese is melted and golden brown.

VEGETARIAN LASAGNA

Steps:

• For the sauce: Put the olive oil and garlic in a medium pot over low heat. Cook the garlic, stirring occasionally at first and more often as it colors, until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Raise the heat to medium-low, add the onions and a large pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, bay leaves, basil sprig, thyme and 1 teaspoon salt, raise the heat to medium and bring the sauce to a lively simmer. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until quite thick (if you draw a spoon through the sauce, you'll see the bottom of the pot for a few seconds before the sauce fills back in), about 30 minutes. As the sauce thickens, turn the heat down a bit so the bottom doesn't scorch. Stir in the chopped basil. Let cool to room temperature before assembling the lasagna. (Makes 1 quart.)
• To assemble: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Squeeze the spinach in your hands to remove as much liquid as possible. Put it in a large bowl, and stir in the ricotta, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, the egg, 1 teaspoon salt and the nutmeg.
• Spread 3/4 cup of the tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Lay 3 lasagna noodles across the sauce (they won't touch). Spread 3/4 cup tomato sauce on top. Dollop 1/3 of the ricotta mixture (about 1 cup) across the sauce, and use the back of a spoon to spread it (it will smush into the tomato sauce, which is fine). Scatter 1 cup of the mozzarella on top.
• Repeat the layering 2 more times. Top with the last 3 noodles, spread the last 3/4 cup tomato sauce over them and scatter the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan over the top. Spray a large piece of foil with cooking spray, and cover the baking dish.
• Bake until the noodles are soft and the cheese has melted, about 40 minutes. Remove the foil, and continue to bake until the cheese is bubbling and the lasagna is slightly browned around the edges, about 15 minutes more. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

VEGETABLE LASAGNA WITH MEAT SAUCE (EGGPLANT AND RED PEPPERS)

Steps:

• Preheat broiler. Line a large baking sheet with foil. Place bell peppers on prepared baking sheet. Broil until skins are charred and blistered, 10 to 15 minutes, turning once. Transfer peppers to a plastic or brown paper bag, seal, and let stand for 10 to 15 minutes. Peel skins from peppers and cut in half lengthwise. Remove and discard stems and seeds. Cut peppers lengthwise into 1 inch wide strips. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, trim unpeeled eggplant and cut lengthwise into ½ inch thick slices. Re-line baking sheet with foil. Place eggplant slices in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Broil 3 to 4 inches from heat source until lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes, turning once. Remove from oven and set aside.
• TO MAKE SAUCE: In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté until onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add beef and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, for about 10 minutes, until no longer pink. Discard all fat. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, wine, herbs, salt, if desired, and pepper until blended. Simmer, uncovered, until sauce begins to thicken, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions. Drain well, rinse in cold water, and drain again.
• Spoon 1 cup meat sauce evenly over bottom of a 16 x 12 inch casserole. Arrange one- third of noodles over sauce. Arrange half of eggplant slices and half of bell pepper strips over noodles. Gently spread one- third of remaining meat sauce over vegetables. Top with one -third of ricotta, then one- third of mozzarella. Repeat layers once. Top with remaining noodles, remaining sauce, and remaining ricotta and mozzarella. Sprinkle with Parmesan.
• Preheat oven to 350°F Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, until filling is bubbly and lasagna is heated through. Remove oven and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting into squares. Makes 12 servings.
• ADVANCE PREPARATION: Lasagna may be made ahead through step 5, covered tightly, and refrigerated overnight or up to 24 hours. Bring to room temperature before baking.
• Heartland Cooking Casseroles Traditional American Recipes.

VEGETARIAN LASAGNA (THAT MEAT EATERS WILL LOVE!)

Steps:

• For this recipe, you are essentially just creating the different elements for the lasagna and then layering them. There is a tomato sauce layer, a pasta layer, a béchamel sauce layer, and a cheese layer.
• Saute the garlic and onion in a large, wide bottomed saucepan.
• Meanwhile chop up your zucchini, mushrooms, and tofu, if using. Size is what you prefer. You can put them through a food processor if you are running short on time or better yet, pass this job to your lowly sous-chef.
• When the onions are nearly softened, add the chopped veggies (and tofu) to the saucepan.
• Once the vegetables are somewhat softened, add the tomato puree, bay leaf, oregano, dried basil, chili powder, salt and pepper. Taste as you go for your preference in saltiness and spiciness. Remember, ambitious guests can always add more spice at the table.
• Bring the tomato sauce to a simmer and then keep it aside on a very low heat.
• Now create the béchamel sauce. Melt the butter into a saucepan and then slowly add the flour, stirring constantly as you go.
• Once the butter and flour are blended, slowly add the milk, again stirring as you do.
• Now add the softened goat cheese to the mixture and stir until blended. Spice the sauce with salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste. Lastly, let simmer until thickened. Add milk if it thickens too quickly (you want a gravy consistency).
• Now you are ready for assembly. Pour a spoonful of sauce onto the bottom of a large (9x13 inch) baking dish (glass or aluminum) to just cover the surface. Then add a layer of lasagna noodles, a layer of sauce, a layer of mozzarella, and then another layer of lasagna. For the next layer, add a thick layer of the goat cheese bechemal sauce. Continue layering, adding in fresh basil leaves as you like in the middle layers. Finish off with a layer of lasagna topped with mozzarella.
• Bake about 25 minutes in ? degree oven and serve to great delight.
• NOTE: For a more robust tomato sauce, you can use Alan Leonetti's marinara sauce recipe (Recipe #84217), especially if you've made it in advance and frozen it.
• NOTE: Variation With Ground Beef: To make a more traditional meat lasagna I follow the same recipe as above but I omit the tofu (of course!) and the goat cheese. I still use the mushroom and courgette/zucchini but I cut back on the amount. I brown the beef in a separate pan and then combine it in the layer of tomato and vegetable sauce. The addition of the courgette/zucchini and mushroom in with the meat it usually a welcome twist!