Vegetable Lasagna

EVENT: SUNDAY FUNDAY

THEME: CREATIVE LASAGNA

RECIPE: VEGETABLE LASAGNA

Vegetable Lasagna, loaded with vegetables and home made sauces is satisfying, delicious and a filling dish. Pretty easy to make once you have all the ingredients at hand. What I like about lasagna is that one can add any vegetables of their choice. Here, I have also used a mixture of three cheeses, cheddar, mozzarella and parmesan. Along with tomato sauce, I like to add béchamel sauce or white sauce to add a creaminess to the overall baked dish.

Sunday Funday

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Theme: Creative Lasagna

Stacy who blogs at Food Lust People Love suggested we get creative with lasagna vibes. The casserole should have layers like lasagna. At first, I thought of using zucchini to replace the actual lasagna pasta. Finally settled down with making Vegetable Lasagna with both tomato and white sauce with lots of vegetables.

I make vegetable lasagna at home but till now the recipe has not found its way to my blog. This theme offered that opportunity.

Check Out Creative Lasagna By Fellow Members

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• Mexican Chicken Lasagna from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Pesto Lasagna with Homemade Noodles from Amy’s Cooking Adventures
• Pierogi Lasagna from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Vegetable Lasagna from Mayuri‘s Jikoni
• Zucchini Noodle Lasagna from Food Lust People Love

Memories

For my birthday, hubby got vegetarian lasagna from the local Italian shop here in Magog. We just had to put it in the oven and bake it. First 2 spoonful or should I say forkful, lasagna tasted awesome. However, third morsel went into the mouth and bit on a meat piece. Thought maybe it is that one off thing. Another bite and meat again!  Hubby did complain to the shopkeeper and all he could say was “Je Suis Désolé!”

It is actually so difficult to get a decent proper vegetarian lasagna. Reminds me of the time when my bestie treated me to a dinner for my birthday to Tamarind Dhow, a famous restaurant in Mombasa and expensive. My lasagna was filled with carrots only, with hardly any sauce and I could actually count the strands of cheese. What a rip off for a 5 star restaurant!

Previous Attempts At Making Lasagna

With vegetable lasagna not being on the menu of most Italian restuarants I’ve attempted this dish several times especially when the kids were younger. The pasta was too hard, the sauce too watery, lasagna too dry, etc. After they left home, I gave up making lasagna at home.

My Son, My Teacher

During my visit to Bali to spend time with my eldest son, he taught me how to make lasagna. No more mishaps, every time comes out perfectly. So it is actually his recipe, I just add vegetables that are available. The trick is to have the sauce not too thick or too thin. By the time the lasagna gets baked, the pasta absorbs the water from the sauce.

As we are replacing minced meat, the vegetables are best chopped finely. We add béchamel sauce or white sauce to add creaminess to the overall pasta dish. By the way did you know that the Italians call the pasta used lasagna and the dish lasagne? However, the rest of the world calls it lasagna.

Can You Prepare Lasagna Ahead?

Yes, you can layer it all ready, cover it with cling film or foil and keep it in the fridge. Put it in the oven about 1 hour before serving time. It actually tastes so much better the next day as the spices and herbs are allowed to infuse into the dish.

You can layer the lasagna and freeze it. Take it out from the freezer and allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight. Bake it.

How To Heat Up The Leftover Lasagna?

I heat it up in the microwave, as it is much quicker. If you don’t have a microwave oven then preheat the oven to 180°C and bake it for 30 minutes covered with a foil.

Lasagna Filling Options

• Add any vegetables of your choice, peas, broccoli, corn, cauliflower, spinach,eggplant, etc. Sometimes I like to add cooked lentils or chickpeas.
• Instead of white sauce add ricotta cheese, or fresh cream. Or add some grated paneer as a filling.
• Make it with white sauce. Add chopped tomatoes to the vegetables.
• Add cooked soya granules.

 

Pasta Recipes On My Blog

 

Ingredients Required For Vegetable Lasagna

For The Béchamel Sauce Or White Sauce:

• Olive Oil – I like to use a mixture of olive oil and butter to roast the flour for the sauce.
• Butter – optional. Can use butter only, use a bit of butter and oil like I do or use just oil.
• Flour – can use all purpose flour or wheat flour.
• Milk – I prefer to use 2% -3% milk.
• Nutmeg Powder – I like adding nutmeg as it lands a lovely flavour.
• Salt – add according to your taste. Remember, as it is a milk sauce you really don’t need too much salt.

For The Vegetable Tomato Sauce /Filling

• Zucchini – chop finely
• Carrot – peeled and finely chopped
• French Beans/Green Beans – finely chopped
• Mushrooms – washed, wiped and finely chopped
• Bell Pepper – any colour, remove the seeds and pith. Chop finely.
• Onion – use any, red, white or yellow. Peel and chop finely.
• Garlic – Peel and chop finely or mince. I like to add a bit more garlic. Add according to your taste.
• Tomato Sauce – thick fresh tomato sauce. I like to cut the tomatoes into halves. Add little water and allow them to cook till soft. And then puree the mixture without adding the water it lets out. I use that water for soups, curries and dals.
• Olive Oil – or butter.
• Salt – add according to your taste.
• Fresh Herbs – I use basil, oregano, thyme. Sometimes I use mixed herbs. If I don’t get fresh herbs then the choice is dried mixed herbs.
• Sugar – optional as it depends on how sour the tomato sauce is.
• Water – need a bit of water to add to the sauce. Can replace the water with stock or wine.
• Pepper Powder – I prefer to use balck pepper powder.

 

Other Ingredients

• Lasagna Pasta – I have used oven ready lasagna pasta or sheets. If you don’t get oven ready ones, then you have to boil the sheets in water till they are partially cooked.
• Cheese – use any cheese of your choice. I have used a mixture of cheddar, mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
• Chilli Flakes – optional. Adds a bit of kick to the dish.

 

 

WATCH HOW TO MAKE VEGETABLE LASAGNA

 

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A little request:

If you do try this recipe then please either
add a comment below,
send a picture to my email mayuri.ajay.patel62@gmail.com
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