I am a Southern girl and having meat with every meal was how I grew up. While I love meat, sometimes I like switching things up! I promise you that this recipe will make you forget there isn't any meat in this lasagna. This dish is so flavorful and loaded with mushrooms, spinach, zucchini and of course lots of cheese! Some of the key components to the dish are the two types of mushrooms, and the homemade marinara sauce. Another key component is the seasoning of the veggies with salt, pepper and garlic powder, which is my go to combination for seasoning most of my food. Give this recipe a try and let me know if you get the same amazing reviews that I received from my family and friends!
Serves 9
Marinara Sauce
1/4 cup olive oil 1 large yellow onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped Pinch chile flakes
1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning 1 28 oz can of tomato sauce puree
1 28 oz can of whole peeled tomatos Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Heat the olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat and add the onions, and cook until soft.
2 .Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then stir in the Italian seasoning, chile flakes, tomato puree, whose peeled tomatoes, and some salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 45 minutes. Once the whole tomatoes are broken down, you know the sauce is ready.
9 lasagna noodles boiled to al dente 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 shallots, roughly chopped 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped 2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and chopped 8 cups fresh spinach
1 carton of white mushrooms
1 carton of Cremini mushrooms 3 cups ricotta cheese 2 cups finely grated Parmesan 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 egg 6 cups shredded mozzarella
3/12 cups of homemade marinara sauce
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and cook the lasagna noodles for 10 to 12 minutes. 3. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat and cook the shallots until softened. Add in the garlic, zucchini, mushrooms and cook for 1 minute. Season veggies with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, 2 to 4 minutes.
4. In a large bowl, stir to combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, pepper and egg, and set aside.
To assemble the lasagna, spoon 1/2 cup of the Chunky Marinara Sauce into the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish to avoid sticking: Top with 3 noodles, slightly overlapping. Spread one-third of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, then add one-third of the cooked zucchini, mushroom and spinach, evenly distributing over the ricotta. Top with 2 cups of the mozzarella, then top with 1 cup of the sauce. Repeat the layering two more times, ending with a layer of noodles, topped with remaining sauce and a sprinkle of mozzarella and grated Parmesan cheese.
Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
Remove the foil and continue to bake until cheese is brown and bubbly about 10 to 20 minutes more. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.