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Quite a few years ago, I received this book from some of our favorite cousins in Silver Spring Maryland. I don't remember exactly when they gave it to me, but the book was "new" in 1998. So again, thanks Uri and Marcie for this kind gift. My favorite recipe in this book, by far is the roasted vegetable lasagna on pages 34-35. I add some of my own ideas to this, of course, but I wanted to give credit to the originators of the recipe.
For 12 years I hosted students from Temple Emanuel Religious school each year for a Shabbaton weekend and Saturday evening, I always served this Lasagna. Boys who had rarely eaten a vegetarian Lasagna raved over this treat, and I was in trouble if I entertained the idea of changing the menu (right?--David M.).
When my daughter Hadas had her Bat Mitzvah party at Temple Israel in June, 2000, I shared this recipe with Mary Reel (may her memory be a blessing) and she made it for our guests. It never failed when I ran into her after that, that she would thank me for the recipe and she told me that she made it for many special occasions after that.
Today I volunteered to make lasagna for a young couple who just had a baby, and I remembered that I used to love making this recipe and I haven't done it in over a year.
So here is my Roasted Vegetable Lasagna:
1. Prepare vegetables for roasting. Make them as close to one layer in the pan as you can. They will cook better that way:
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cubed
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cube
1 small eggplant cubed
1 onion thickly sliced
1 red onion thickly sliced
2 Zucchini , sliced
1 garlic clove, minced (I like the Dorot frozen cubes of garlic--available at trader joes)
1 tablespoon of chopped mixed herbs (I use Herbs de Provence)
3 Tablespoons of olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Put this in your roasting pan (or a couple of casserole dishes) in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes (I stir mine every 10 minutes to make sure that it cooks evenly.
2. While the vegetables are roasting, make your white sauce.
3 Tablespoons of butter
3 Tablespoons of flour
2 - 2 1/2 cups of milk
pinch of nutmeg
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Melt the butter and stir in the flour. Cook over low heat for 2-3 minutes. Gradually add the milk and beat well after each addition, until the sauce is thick and smooth.
3. Mix together (this is my own addition to the recipe.)
8 ounces of Ricotta cheese
6 ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese
3 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese
You will need a jar of tomato sauce (I like trader Joe's tomato basil)
Assemble the Lasagna in a large buttered casserole dish
Cover the base with a layer of tomato sauce and a layer of roasted vegetables.
Next cover with sheets of lasagna noodles (you can use the kind that don't need to be precooked)
Spread some white sauce on the noodles and then spread some of the cheese mixture on top.
continue layering up this way tomato sauce/vegetables/noodles/white sauce/cheese until at the end you have noodles covered in white sauce. Sprinkle more mozzarella and parmesan on the top.
Bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Top should be crispy and golden.
enjoy. I know this seems like a lot of steps, but it actually goes quite quickly. You can also assemble it ahead of time (even a day or two) and keep it in the fridge until you are ready to bake it. enjoy!
For 12 years I hosted students from Temple Emanuel Religious school each year for a Shabbaton weekend and Saturday evening, I always served this Lasagna. Boys who had rarely eaten a vegetarian Lasagna raved over this treat, and I was in trouble if I entertained the idea of changing the menu (right?--David M.).
When my daughter Hadas had her Bat Mitzvah party at Temple Israel in June, 2000, I shared this recipe with Mary Reel (may her memory be a blessing) and she made it for our guests. It never failed when I ran into her after that, that she would thank me for the recipe and she told me that she made it for many special occasions after that.
Today I volunteered to make lasagna for a young couple who just had a baby, and I remembered that I used to love making this recipe and I haven't done it in over a year.
So here is my Roasted Vegetable Lasagna:
1. Prepare vegetables for roasting. Make them as close to one layer in the pan as you can. They will cook better that way:
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cubed
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cube
1 small eggplant cubed
1 onion thickly sliced
1 red onion thickly sliced
2 Zucchini , sliced
1 garlic clove, minced (I like the Dorot frozen cubes of garlic--available at trader joes)
1 tablespoon of chopped mixed herbs (I use Herbs de Provence)
3 Tablespoons of olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Put this in your roasting pan (or a couple of casserole dishes) in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes (I stir mine every 10 minutes to make sure that it cooks evenly.
2. While the vegetables are roasting, make your white sauce.
3 Tablespoons of butter
3 Tablespoons of flour
2 - 2 1/2 cups of milk
pinch of nutmeg
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Melt the butter and stir in the flour. Cook over low heat for 2-3 minutes. Gradually add the milk and beat well after each addition, until the sauce is thick and smooth.
3. Mix together (this is my own addition to the recipe.)
8 ounces of Ricotta cheese
6 ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese
3 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese
You will need a jar of tomato sauce (I like trader Joe's tomato basil)
Assemble the Lasagna in a large buttered casserole dish
Cover the base with a layer of tomato sauce and a layer of roasted vegetables.
Next cover with sheets of lasagna noodles (you can use the kind that don't need to be precooked)
Spread some white sauce on the noodles and then spread some of the cheese mixture on top.
continue layering up this way tomato sauce/vegetables/noodles/white sauce/cheese until at the end you have noodles covered in white sauce. Sprinkle more mozzarella and parmesan on the top.
Bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Top should be crispy and golden.
enjoy. I know this seems like a lot of steps, but it actually goes quite quickly. You can also assemble it ahead of time (even a day or two) and keep it in the fridge until you are ready to bake it. enjoy!