If you are anything like us, you have probably eaten way too many treats this week, done too much partying and might need a good home cooked meal to take your family through the next few days.
Our cooking class made this veggie lasagna in their own personal ramekins. We loaded up the layers: tomato sauce loaded with basil, parsnips and carrots, then noodles, then a broccoli-swiss chard puree. Their were a few scoffs at the broccoli layer while we were assembling the lasagnas, but as soon as their dishes came out of the oven, the kids fell upon the food, stretching the cheese and slurping down that green layer that had been so suspect a few minutes before.
This recipe has a special place in my heart since it was the very first savory recipe that I wrote, at age 14. The texture of ricotta did not seem appealing, so this lasagna has no ricotta layer. If this is a deal-breaker for you, by all means, add it back in. My friends from high school will smile when they read this. I am pretty sure that, at one time or another, every one of my friends came by for a big plate of this.
And the colors? Pure Christmas. So much red and green deliciousness. In fact, as soon as some of the kids began groaning about the green stuff, we talked about how these are Santa’s very favorite colors, right here in our dish. The elves would be so pleased!
(Tomato Sauce recipe to follow in a separate post.)
Vegetable Lasagna
*4 c. favorite tomato sauce
*1 c shredded carrots
*1/2 c. shredded parsnips
*1 package of no-boil lasagna noodles
*2 1/2 cups broccoli, florets and stems, chopped and steamed and the cooking water reserved
*1 c. swiss chard (the basic green kind works best here), chopped
*a tablespoon or so of olive oil
*1 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese
*one pound of fresh mozzarella, grated
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Take out a 9×11 pan or 8 ramekins.
Stir the carrots and parsnips into your tomato sauce.
Puree the broccoli, swiss chard, and 1/2 of the parmesan cheese together with a bit of the cooking water. Add a little olive oil if you need some more liquid or keep adding the cooking water, 1/4 cup at a time.
To assemble: Start with a layer of the tomato sauce. Sprinkle one handful or two of the mozzarella cheese. Place a single layer of noodles on top. If using individual ramekins, you can break the noodles up into “puzzle pieces” to cover the tomato layer. Spoon the green layer on top. For a large pan, use about a cup, or for a ramekin, about 1/4 cup. Lay on another layer of noodles. Repeat. Finish with a layer of tomato sauce, a covering of mozzarella, and the rest of the parmesan cheese.
Bake 15-18 minutes for the ramekins or 35-40 minutes for a large pan. The cheese should be golden and just starting to brown.
Pull out of the oven and let cool for at least 10 minutes. Enjoy!
23/12/2009 at 10:59 pm Permalink
YUM!
Lasagne is one of our traditional holiday meals
I have been meaning to stop over and tell you THANK YOU!!! for my sweet NYC shirt and headband
you are too sweet.
Hope you are having a splendid holiday season.
xo
24/12/2009 at 1:43 am Permalink
How did you know I was looking for a good veggie lasagna recipe just yesterday?!
Thank you for your kind words and stopping in to visit my blog from time to time. Warm wishes to you and your beautiful family for a golden 2010 my friend! xo
24/12/2009 at 10:38 am Permalink
Hello
All these are very nice photographs and I like it.Well frankly speaking that I have read this 'vegetable Lasagna' first time and I would like to try this recipe.Thank you..
kelp
27/12/2009 at 4:36 am Permalink
Yum!
27/12/2009 at 6:43 am Permalink
I love that you do a cooking class with kids !! It's such a great idea !
What a great start in life you are giving them !!
29/12/2009 at 9:29 pm Permalink
Any way to make children eat more veggies is good and this one does not even seem difficult. My daughter would definitely enjoy it, she is 4.
Happy New Year!!
Margot