Plates Of Flavour: Making Delicious Vegetarian Lasagna

The weather is getting colder, making us stay indoors in the warmth of our homes. It’s times like these that make me want to snuggle up on the sofa under a warm blanket to watch a festive movie while I wait for the “ding” of the oven timer, signaling that my delicious lasagna is ready to be taken out and served. It’s my ultimate favourite comfort food.

Cooking With Permjit K. Sandhu

My very first attempt at making lasagna, years ago when my children were young, I had such a bad experience. I had prepared a beautifully layered lasagna with many different cheeses and garden vegetables. When I was transferring the lasagna from the oven to the counter, somehow the aluminum foil pan tilted, and before I could save it from its fall, the lasagna had already landed on the kitchen floor. It was an absolute disappointment for myself and definitely my children, who had waited so patiently all afternoon. That was a lesson I learned about baking with aluminum foil pans – always place a sheet pan underneath. Needless to say, I was in tears and quickly whipped up something else that night.

This lasagna is layered with fresh vegetables, vibrant tomato sauce and melted cheeses, all working together to tantalize your taste buds with the variety of colours, flavours and textures in every bite. I used a combination of mushroom slices, green and red bell peppers, diced onions, minced garlic and chopped spinach. You can always modify the recipe to include any of your preferred vegetables, or use cottage cheese instead of ricotta as a lighter option. You can also use ready-to-bake noodles to save some time.

Recipe (12 servings)

Use a 9”x13” glass baking dish and spray with cooking spray.

Ingredients:

12 Lasagna noodles
2 Cups Mushrooms (sliced)
2 Garlic cloves (minced)
1 Onion (diced)
1 Green Bell Pepper (chopped)
1 Red Bell Pepper (chopped)
2 Tablespoons Dried Parsley Flakes
1 Tablespoon Dried Oregano
1 Tablespoon Dried Basil
1 Teaspoon Black Pepper (ground)
1 Teaspoon Salt
3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
2 Cups Crushed Tomatoes
1 Cup Water
2 Cups Ricotta Cheese
2 Cups Cheddar Cheese (grated)
1 Cup Parmesan Cheese (grated)
2 Cups Mozzarella Cheese (grated)
1 Package Frozen Chopped Spinach (300g, thawed)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F.

Bring 8L of water to a boil. Add 1 tsp salt and 1 tablespoon of oil to the water (to prevent the noodles from sticking together).

Add the 12 dry lasagna noodles to the boiling water. Stir gently. Cook for 8 minutes, uncovered.

Drain noodles in a colander and rinse in cold water.

Gently lay the noodles flat on foil.

Squeeze water/excess moisture from thawed chopped spinach in a clean towel or strainer.

Combine the ricotta cheese with the chopped spinach. Set aside.

In a large skillet, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Over medium heat, add the sliced mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes. Then add onions, garlic and bell peppers. Cook for 2 minutes.

Add parsley flakes, salt, black pepper, dried oregano and dried basil. Mix thoroughly.
Add tomato paste and crushed tomatoes. Stir gently and add water. Simmer for 5 minutes and set aside.

Assembly:

Spread a thin layer of sauce over the prepared pan.
Place layer of cooked lasagna noodles over the sauce.
Spread a layer of sauce followed by ricotta-spinach mixture, parmesan, cheddar and mozzarella cheeses.
Follow steps 2 and 3 until all layers are completed.
The final top layer should be mozzarella, parmesan and cheddar cheese.
Spray foil with cooking spray (to prevent from sticking to the cheese), then place over the lasagna pan.
Bake covered for 25 minutes, then uncovered for another 25 minutes at 375F.
Remove from oven. Let the pan rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Serve with salad and/or garlic bread.