Lasagna was my favourite homemade meal growing up – though a plate full of bacon was a close contender. As an adult, I still love lasagna (not so much the bacon anymore). It’s a nice hearty comfort food that is easily made vegetarian. So much so that I wonder why people bother putting any meat in.
This recipe calls for a mix of swiss chard and mushrooms but you can throw any old veggie in. It’s a nice change from your usual tomato sauce and spinach variation.
This lasagna recipe takes some of the guilt out of the dish and is perfect for anyone who can’t or chooses not to eat pasta. You may be hesitant to subsitute pasta with zuchini slices (pasta lovers, raise our hands) but I assure you that this dish comes out so close to the real thing that you will hardly notice the difference. I like this version because the lasagna holds up well and isn’t a soupy mess. It can be a little time consuming, the sauce can be made ahead of time since it should be simmered for almost an hour to thicken it up. And the zucchini requires a little work to get the water out of it so plan some time for that.
I used the following recipe but reduced the cheese a little and mixed regular cheap mushrooms with oyster mushrooms because I can only handle so much mushy mushrooms. They need to have a bit of a denser texture for me not to revert back to my mushroom hating days.
Keep reading for the recipe.
Ingredients
- For the Tomato Sauce:
- 1 – 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes (or about 4 pounds of fresh tomatoes)
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1 Tbsp. fennel seed, crushed slightly to release the flavor
- 1 tsp. ground oregano
- 1/4 cup finely chopped basil
- 1 tsp. cane sugar
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- For the Cheese Filling:
- 1 pound of ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese)
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- For the Vegetables:
- 2 to 3 medium-sized zucchinis, no bigger than 4 inches diameter (or 4 to 5 small zucchinis)
- 2 tsp. salt
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 pound of mushrooms, sliced
- 1 bunch of swiss chard or spinach (about 4 cups, chopped)
- 1 large onion, minced
- 2 Tbsp. flour (can be gluten-free flour)
- A dozen or so fresh basil leaves (optional)
- 4 cups shredded mozzarella (about 1 pound)
Directions
- Wash and remove the ends of the zucchinis. Slice the zucchinis lengthwise to between 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Use a mandolin if you have one, it will help you slice the zucchini faster and in perfect consistent slices. Otherwise, slicing with a knife is fine too. Sprinkle the 2 tsp of salt on the zucchini as you go and allow the zucchini slices to sit in a colander or for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, run two fingers on either side of the slices, squeezing all the way down over a bowl or the sink, releasing even more water. Place the slices on a clean towel and pat the zucchini very dry. Rub 1 Tbsp of olive oil onto an extra-large baking sheet (or 2 smaller ones) and place the zucchini slices in a single layer. Roast in a 375F oven for about 10 minutes. Allow to cool.
- If using fresh tomatoes, deseed the tomatoes (if you wish remove the skins). Bring the tomatoes to a boil and add the minced garlic, chopped basil, crushed fennel seeds, ground oregano, olive oil, sugar, and salt to taste. Simmer until thick and reduced (may take up to an hour). It’s important to use a thick lasagna sauce in this recipe because the lasagna can otherwise be on the soupy side without the pasta to soak up the extra liquid as it bakes.
- In a large skillet or wok, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil and sauté the onions for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking. Once the mushrooms are soft, add the chopped swiss chard. When the chard is cooked, remove from heat and drain any juices (save these for great soup stock). Add 2 Tbsp flour to the mixture and mix well to incorporate.
- Oil a 9 x 13 inch lasagna dish and spread about one third of your sauce on the bottom. Add a layer of roasted zucchini to cover the tomato sauce. Add the ricotta and parmesan cheese mixture and spread evenly. Add another layer of zucchini slices. Add a second round of tomato sauce and spread evenly, followed by the vegetable mixture and half of the shredded mozzarella cheese. Add a last layer of zucchini slices followed by the third and last round of tomato sauce. Place the twelve basil leaves on top of the sauce and sprinkle the rest of the shredded mozzarella on top. Place a baking tray on the rack beneath the lasagna pan to catch any bubbling juices from falling to the bottom of your oven. Bake for about 40 minutes at 350F until the cheese is melted. If you wish, turn on the broiler on high for the last 2 minutes to brown the cheese slightly. Allow to sit and cool for 30 minutes before slicing.
Yield: 10-12 servings
I so remember making vegetarian lasagna when you were younger – remember your comments ?? ;)
This looks delicious – have you tried dried wood mushrooms – use them at work and I take a piece when I am grinding them for veggie paninis (veggie pate) and it is soooo good – very woodsy tasting. I have to buy some soon so that you can try it the next time you and Matt come to snowboard ;)
Interesting! There is an all mushroom shop near Matt’s, they probably have a ton of similar tasty mushroom products. Save me some if you buy some, I am definitely curious to try.
First, you take away the meat. Surprisingly, I actually was OK with that; the vegetarian lasagnas were pretty awesome. But now the pasta is gone too?? I don’t know… we use spinach pasta, isn’t that ok?
*sigh*
I’ll run this recipe by Anja, see what she thinks. We’ll let you know if we try it. (We’re both fans of zucchini after all.)