Veggie Lasagna

INGREDIENTS

• 1 TBL olive oil
• 1 C thinly sliced zucchini (mandolin)
• 1 C thinly sliced eggplant (mandolin)
• 6-9 lasagna noodles or very thin white or sweet potato slices *
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 stalk celery – cut thinly
• 1 large carrot – peel or julienne strips
• 1 small can corn
• 1 handful basil – chiffonade
• 1/2 tsp coarse salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 4 TBL butter
• 1/4 C AP flour
• 3 C low-fat milk
• 1/2 C low-fat cottage cheese
• 1/2 C Parmesan cheese – grated
• 1/2 C Ricotta cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella or provalone cheese

STEP BY STEP

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Heat EVOO in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat
3. Add celery, onion, and carrot
4. Sauté 8-10 minutes or until browned
5. Remove from heat and stir in salt, pepper, corn, basil, salt and pepper
6. Set aside vegetable mixture

7. Melt butter in a saute pan
8. Slowly spoon in flour stirring to incorporate
9. When the flour has browned, gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk
10. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil and starts to thicken
11. Remove from heat and stir in cottage cheese, Ricotta cheese, and Parmesan cheese
12. Set aside sauce

13. Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a large glass greased baking dish
14. Arrange 3 noodles over sauce – or substitute hard slices of potato
15. Top with half the vegetables
16. Add one-third of the white sauce
17. Top with 3 noodles
18. Add remaining vegetables
19. Add half the remaining sauce
20. Add 3 more noodles
21. Add the last of the white sauce
22. Cover with foil and bake at 350º F for 60 minutes
23. Uncover, sprinkle with mozzarella
24. Bake an additional 25 minutes or until golden brown
25. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting

ROOT VEGETABLE LASAGNA

• Slice root vegetables, lightly toasted in EVOO and sprinkle with salt
• Bake mandolin-thin hard veggies at 400º for 20 minutes
• Slice softer veggies into thin slices or strips
• Sautee and reduce slivered onion, spinach, garlic and salt
• In casserole dish, layer:  Béchamel or veg puree, veggies, spinach, spag squash, Béchamel, veggies, spag, veggies, spinach, Béchamel, and cheese
• Bake 15 minutes

Béchamel is 3 T flour, 1 C cream, 1 C whole milk, 1/4 C butter, 1 shallot (or a slice of onion) 1/2 tsp salt, and spices to taste (eg) nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne, paprika