My family loves lasagna, but I must admit, it isn't on a regular menu rotation in my house. I think the calorie conscientious among us tend to shy away from this succulent dish.
However, in small portions, it is simply divine and if one adds the bounty of our summer garden into the mix ... well, the allure becomes almost impossible to resist.
Here is a recipe I do fix occasionally for my family on the sometimes cool Seattle summer days. It's a perfect excuse to forage in the garden or is an easy fix from fresh goodies at the local Farmer's Market. And with the addition of no boil lasagna sheets ... it's virtually a quick cook fix!
Enjoy!
Garden Vegetable Lasagne
12 no boil lasagna noodle sheets
6 cups homemade tomato sauce or (2 jars of store bought spaghetti sauce in a pinch!)
1/2 pound ground turkey or turkey sausage
2 Heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced (make 1 golden yellow and 1 brilliant red for variety)
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups thinly shredded carrot
large bunch kale leaves
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 15-ounce container part skim ricotta cheese
2 eggs
2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Freshly ground pepper
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375°.
Cook ground turkey or sausage until browned in skillet with about a teaspoon of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Spray a 13 x 9 inch glass pan with nonstick spray.
Put about 1/2 cup of tomato sauce in the bottom of the pan. Then line it with 3 no boil lasagna sheets.
In separate bowl combine the: ricotta cheese, 2 eggs, Italian parsley, garlic, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese. Set aside.
Begin to layer the lasagna into the glass pan on top of the tomato sauce and 3 lasagna sheets as follows:
Tomato Sauce
Turkey or Sausage
Ricotta cheese mixture
Kale, layered with lightly overlapping leaves
Zucchini slices, layered thinly
Tomato slices, layered thinly
Grated carrots, layered thinly
Light sprinkling of mozzarella cheese
Begin a new layer with 3 additional lasagna sheets.
Continue layering lasagna 3 times. Top with remaining tomato sauce, three slices of tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.
Cover baking pan with foil and bake at 375° for about an hour. Remove foil and continue baking another 15 or more minutes until the cheese has melted and slightly browned and the lasagna is bubbling.
Let stand 15 minutes before serving.
Here is another of our favorite lasagne recipes: Heirloom Tomato and Eggplant Lasagne
