Loaded Vegetable Lasagna

Im so excited to share this recipe with you. Its so good and hearty you’ll not miss the meat or the pasta (lasagna sheets) Yes its a low carb, pasta free lasagna made with loads of veggies. The secret! well not exactly, but the eggplant discs act as the sheets to form layers, provide that toothsome bite and depth to the lasagna. Its rich tomato sauce is layered with plenty of sautéed veggies and creamy cheesy white sauce that will satisfy you like a tradtional meaty lasagna.

There are a few layers to be made so set aside some time like a Sunday afternoon to make this dish. It will take some time, but like I said its worth all the effort. Trust me here. So without to much to say further here’s the recipe.

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Vegetable Lasagna

RED SAUCE

• 1 (28-ounce) can peeled tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons chopped sun dried tomatoes
• 1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
• 1/2 medium red onion, diced, the other half goes in the veggies
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced into chunks
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning or dried wild oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• generous pinch red pepper flakes, optional, but recommended
• handful fresh basil, torn, plus more for topping

BESCIAMELLA

• 1-2 tablespoons of unsalted regular or vegan butter
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 ½ cups unflavored unsweetened oat or regular milk
• generous pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

LASAGNA

• 3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 large eggplants, sliced into round disks + sea salt for sweating
• 4 small zucchinis 
• 1 small head broccoli , diced into small pieces
•  1 large carrot, diced
• 1 lb organic baby spinach
• 4 cloves garlic, about 1 tablespoon minced
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• ½ (8 oz) balls fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded or vegan cheese, use more if you like it cheesier
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
• Extra virgin olive oil to drizzle

INSTRUCTIONS

TOMATO RED SAUCE

1. Add olive oil to a sauce pan over medium heat. Once warm, add the onions and sauté until they are soft, add the garlic. If you’d like to make the sauce spicier, add a pinch red pepper, optional.
2. With an immersion blender roughly puree the tomatoes to a smooth creamy consistency. Or squeeze with your clean hands.
3. Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.
4. Simmer on a medium heat for about 20-30 minutes. Once reduced Add half the basil and season with salt and pepper if needed.

Béchamel Sauce

1. In a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes. Stir constantly, be careful not to burn the flour.
2. Add the milk to the butter-flour mixture and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 15 minutes until thickened.
3. Season the sauce with freshly grated nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste. Taste to ensure the flour flavor has dissipated. If you still taste the flour, cook a few minutes longer.

LASAGNA

1. Preheat the oven to 375º.
2. Salt the slices of eggplant and let therm sweat for 30 minutes to reduce the bitterness. Then rinse the eggplant pieces and pat them dry to absorb all the moisture.
3. Warm 1 tablespoons olive oil in a large non-stick skillet. Add the diced onion and garlic, sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chopped carrot, zucchini, red pepper flakes and sauté for 5 minutes till the veggie start to soften. Season with salt and pepper.
4. In the remaining oil add the broccoli pieces and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the spinach in batches by large handfuls and toss in the hot oil until it all wilts down. Season with salt and pepper and saute until tender, about 3 minutes.
5. Transfer greens to a mesh sieve to drain as it cools. Roughly chop if needed and reserve in a bowl.

ASSEMBLY

1. In a large ovenproof baking dish. Pour about a cup of sauce. Followed by the vegetable mix, then the béchamel sauce. Layer the eggplant overlapping a little to cover the white sauce.
2. Spread the broccoli-spinach evenly followed by the remaing white sauce. Then leftover eggplant red sauce.
3. Top the lasagna with cheese. Cover with foil. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 5 minutes to brown a bit.
4. Serve with extra parmesan, olive oil and basil leaves. MAKES 5-6 servings.