Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

This recipe is old. Like Valentine's Day old. But for some reason I never got around to sharing it. That's not to say that this lasagna wasn't deeelicious. Because it was. :)

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna
serves 6

Tomato Sauce

• 2 cans (28oz) plum tomatoes
• 2 Tb. dehydrated onion
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 3 oz (1/2 small can) tomato paste
• 3 Tb. granulated sugar 

This sauce was less sauce and more just chunky tomatoes. If you like smoother tomato sauces, you may want to substitute your own sauce instead.

Place a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the tomatoes, onion, garlic powder, basil, salt, and pepper to the pan and stir. Cook over until thickened, about 45 minutes. While cooking, mash the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon. 

Add the tomato paste and sugar. Stir well. Let simmer for about 5 minutes. You may need to add some water if your consistency isn't right. 

Roasted Veggies

• 8 oz mushrooms, cut into large chunks
• 2 bell peppers, sliced*
• 1/2 large onion, sliced*
• Broccoli florets, about 1 cup, cut 
• 2 large zucchini squash, cut into large chunks
• 2 large carrots, cut into large chunks
• 6 cloves of garlic, skins on
• 1 Tb. olive oil
• Salt & pepper
• Italian seasoning

*I used a frozen mix of sliced onions and peppers. Thaw them first.

Preheat oven to 400F. Toss all veggies except zucchini with oil and spices. (If using frozen peppers and onions, leave them out too.) Roast veggies for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, add zucchini (and frozen peppers and onions, if using). Toss and return to the oven for 10 minutes. 

Once the garlic cools, peel off skin and slice. Add with the rest of the veggies. 

Lasagna

• 9 whole wheat lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
• 1 1/2 cups organic Italian blend cheese
• 1/2 cup organic cheddar cheese
• 1 batch tomato sauce
• 1 batch roasted veggies

I highly recommend organic cheese because of it's exceptional meltability. Yup, I just made that up. :)

I drain my noodles then lay them out on a clean towel for easier assembly. 

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the dish. Add a layer of noodles. Top with 1/3 of remaining sauce.

Top with 1/2 of the roasted vegetables.

Top with 1/3 of cheeses. Repeat once more.

Top with a layer of noodles, remaining sauce and cheese. Cover with foil and bake 40 minutes. 

Nutritional Information (for 1/6): 404 calories, 14g fat (6.4g sat), 58g carbs, 10g fiber, 20g protein

This is quite a nutritional stunner. You get A LOT of food for the calories. Plus, you get to enjoy pasta and cheese without overdoing it. I would not compare this to indulgent, pure ricotta cheese lasagna. And I do like my sauce to be more smooth than it was. However, this was a LIGHT option. How often to walk away from eating a pasta dish feeling refreshed and not weighed down? In my experience, not very often. :)