Guest Author - Jessica Denise Steinmetz

Ingredients

8-ounce package lasagne noodles, uncooked
30-ounce jar meatless spaghetti sauce
1½ cups water
Vegetables:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped yellow or red bell pepper
1 cup coarsely shredded carrots
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 cup finely chopped zucchini
1 cup finely chopped broccoli flowerets
1 teaspoon each dried basil and dried oregano
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well

Cheese Filling

15-ounce container part-skim ricotta cheese
1¼ cups part-skim Mozzarella cheese (5 ounces)
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly oil a 9 x 13-inch baking pan or spray with a nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine sauce and water. Set aside.

To prepare vegetables: heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.

Add onion, bell pepper, carrots, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, 3 minutes.

Add remaining vegetables, except spinach. Sprinkle with spices. Cook, stirring frequently, 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in spinach.

Set aside 1 cup of the vegetables.

To prepare cheese filling: set aside 1/2 cup of the Mozzarella cheese. In a medium bowl, combine remaining Mozzarella cheese with ricotta and Parmesan. Mix well.

To assemble: spread 1 cup of the sauce in the bottom of prepared pan. Top with a third of the noodles, then 1/2 cup of the sauce. Next, spoon half of the cheese mixture over the noodles. Top with half of the vegetables, pressing them down into the cheese. Top with another 1/2 cup of the sauce.

Top with another third of the noodles. Press them down firmly onto the filling. Repeat layers, adding 1/2 cup sauce, remaining cheese, remaining vegetables, 1/2 cup sauce, and remaining noodles. Again, press noodles down firmly.

Spoon reserved vegetables over noodles. Top with remaining sauce, making sure noodles are entirely covered with sauce.

Cover and bake 40 minutes. Uncover and spoon sauce from sides of pan over noodles. Sprinkle with reserved Mozzarella cheese and continue to bake uncovered, 30 minutes more.

Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings.