Recipe of the Week: Vegetarian Lasagna

During my month in Atlanta (summer 2009) I was obsessed with lemon pepper chicken wings, Orlegian Sno Balls, and trying to change my way of eating.  Don’t be confused by the first and third items….I used to sneak off and eat chicken wings in the car so no one would know.

Before leaving Atlanta I had the opportunity to break bread with another popular blogger who was also into the change in eating lifestyle movement.  As a matter of fact she was much further along than I was and I believe is now completely vegan.  We ate at the Old Spaghetti Factory and split an entree of vegetarian lasagna.  Before then I’d made seafood lasagna and alfredo lasagna but this was so doggone tasty that it needed to be recreated and added to the family cookbook for future generations of nieces and nephews and cousins.

If you haven’t figured out by now, I don’t often deal in exact measurements.  I cook until it looks right to ME.

Ingredients:

1 pack of frozen spinach or a bundle of fresh spinach (bundle means however much you want….sauteed in some olive oil until slightly wilted)
Thinly sliced veggies – roma tomatoes, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, eggplant, red and orange peppers
Lasagna noodles
Your favorite herbs and marinara sauce
Plenty of mozarella cheese

My goal is to one day experiment with using thinly sliced eggplant in place of noodles but I haven’t been that brave yet.

Direction:

Boil your noodles to al dente
Season your veggies (except for the spinach….thaw it in a bowl of water in the microwave if frozen) with oregano, pepper, garlic, thyme, and a little crushed red pepper
Roast them in the oven for approximately 35 minutes on 350 degrees
Mix your roasted veggies and your spinach with your marinara sauce making sure to blend them all together
Layer your pan….I was always taught to start with the sauce so that the noodles wouldn’t stick to the bottom. My preferred order is sauce, noodles, cheese, repeat. Save some of your tomato slices to put on top of your lasagna before you put it in the oven.
Cover your pan and bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 15 minutes until the middle is hot and bubbly.

And enjoy!

Thanks for visiting Diva (in Demand).  My blog escapades have followed me across 4 states, 3 jobs, a business venture, and a new husband. There are no mini divas yet but I have loads of nieces and nephews to slobber and wipe their dirty hands on me. I am an amateur pastry chef, certified cake decorator, and seasoned home cook who knows how to pair French cuiseine with fine wine, collard greens and cornbread. You'll find a little bit of everything around here.....where I take talking to myself to a whole new level.