A Lighter Lasagne

Recently my family has begun eating a majority of our meals vegetarian. Cooking vegetarian has always seemed intimidating to me, maybe because I am not accustomed to using only vegetables. Regardless, the other night, we made vegetarian lasagna that was both delicious but filling as well. This lasagna was so rich with vegetables, and herbs that you don't even miss the extra cheese and meat that normally resides in standard recipes.

Serves 6-8, preparation time 40 minutes, baking time 60-70 minutes.

2 cups cubed zucchini
1 cup cubed bell peppers
1 cup chopped tomatoes
4 cups sliced mushrooms (about 12 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup dry red wine
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil
10 ounces fresh spinach, rinsed
2 cups low-fat cottage cheese
1 cup grated low-fat mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound uncooked lasagna noodles (uncooked)

1 recipe Tomato Wine sauce (see below)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, salt, and wine in a saucepan, bring to a boil, cover, and then simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes, until all of the vegetables are tender and juicy. Stir in the basil and set aside.

Cover and cook the spinach on high heat in just the water clinging to the leaves for 3 minutes, until wilted but still bright green. Drain and chop coarsely. Combine with the cottage cheese, mozzarella, and Parmesan and set aside.

Spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce evenly on the bottom of a 3-inch deep nonreactive 8 x 12-inch baking dish. Layer with 5 or 6 noodles, 1 generous cup of undrained veggies, and 1 cup of the spinach-cheese mixture. Cover with a second layer of noodles, 1 cup of sauce, 1 heaping cup of veggies, 1 cup of the spinach-cheese mixture, and a third layer of noodles. Finally, add the rest of the veggies, the remaining spinach-cheese mixture, a fourth layer of noodles, and the rest of the sauce. Cover tightly with foil and bake until the noodles are tender, about 60 minutes. Let sit at least 10 minutes before cutting.

Tomato wine sauce

2 teasoons olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onions
2 medium garlic cloves (minced)
1/4 teason salt
2 teaspoons ground fennel
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/3 cup red wine
3 cups undrained canned tomatoes
salt and ground black pepper to taste

In a saucepan, warm the olive oil. Add the onions and garlic, sprinkle with the salt, cover, and saute on very low heat for 5-7 minutes, or until the onions are beginning to soften. Add the fennel, oregano, and basil and cook for another minute. Pour in the wine and bring to a boil. Whirl the tomatoes in a blender until just pureed and add to the pan. Cover the sauce and simmer gently for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste.

I know the recipe looks intimidating but is in fact quite simple. Take the time to try it out and you won't regret it. We served the lasagna simply with warm whole wheat bread.

I would prefer to use whole wheat noodles, as whole wheat is always better than enriched but finding whole wheat is sometimes are to come by. When making the tomato wine sauce I found the secret to understanding why this recipe is as delectable as a meat based recipe. Fennel is the surprise ingredient. Something about its unexpected flavor often fools people into thinking that this is a meat-based sauce. Whether you are vegetarian, vegetarian want-to-be, or simply looking for healthy alternatives in your diet, try out this lasagna and let me know what you think!