Weeknight Veggie Lasagna
This recipe is a two-fer, one lasagna for now and one for later. Don’t bother telling me you only need one lasagna, you absolutely need a lasagna for your freezer. Kath -my mom- always had/has a lasagna in the freezer for the days she is either too busy to cook or is too tired to whip up something new, a tradition I have also taken to heart. A layered pasta pie is the perfect meal to have either in your undies on the couch while watching trash TV after a long day or to pull out of the oven and delight friends with to celebrate any occasion.
This recipe makes 1 large/1 small or 2 medium lasagnas - trust me, you need a lasagna for now and one to have in the freezer for later. Love, Daddy
Ingredients
For Pasta
1 c tipo “00” flour
1 c semolina flour
4 eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil
pinch of salt
For Layers
1 small onion
6 cloves of garlic
1 med zucchini (cubed)
1 med eggplant (cubed)
1 carton of mushrooms (diced)
1 can of diced tomatoes
24 oz container ricotta cheese
1 egg
basil/oregano/parsley chopped approx 1 large handful
1 15 oz jar of tomato sauce
1 15 oz jar of alfredo sauce (optional)
2 cup grated parmesan/mozzarella/provolone/asiago (I typically buy six cheese blend at the grocery store -2 bags)
1 packet of mozzarella pearls (optional but highly recommended)
seasoning
salt & pepper to taste
red pepper flakes
dried oregano
Cooking Directions
Begin by making your pasta dough. Take one cup of semolina flour and one cup of “00” flour and place them on your counter. Make a well in the center of the flour. Check out the video below!
Add the four eggs, a drizzle of olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Begin stirring the eggs in the well with a fork, slowly beating the egg and incorporating the flour. As the flour becomes incorporated a dough will form.
As the dough begins to form, use your hands to shape it into a ball and begin to knead, making sure to include all the flour.
Knead the dough until smooth and elastic. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and rest for a minimum of 10 minutes.
Begin preparing the other components of the lasagna. Dice all veggies into small bite size chunks and chop the onions and garlic. Sauté the onion and garlic with some olive oil and once softened add the zucchini, eggplant, and mushrooms. Once they have also softened add the diced tomatoes, allow to simmer for 3-5 min and remove from the stove. Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside for lasagna construction - once cooled add the mozzarella pearls (optional).
Mix the ricotta, egg, chopped herbs, and salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (to taste) in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
Now comes the fun part, lasagna construction. I work in layers. Noodle, ricotta mixture, veggies, sauce, cheese, and repeat! If you made your own pasta, fantastic! Store bought noodles are fine but making your own is the best and nothing is more satisfying than fresh pasta. Using the pasta roller attachment for my KitchenAid mixer I roll long sheets to a “5” thickness. This can also be done using a rolling pin, when using this method try to roll a lasagna sheet out that will cover the entire layer. Noodles should not be too thick but also be able to maintain the lasagna’s structure. I like to roll as I go, layer by layer.
Begin by spreading a spoonful or two of tomato sauce in your lasagna pan. This recipe will make one large and one small lasagna or two medium sized lasagnas - don’t worry this is on purpose. Next, lay down a sheet of lasagna noodles to cover the bottom of the pan. I typically use ceramic baking dishes or disposable aluminum pans.
On top of the noodle layer add an even layer of the ricotta mixture, enough to cover the noodle fully. On top of this layer add a layer of veggies and mozzarella pearls. I like to put a couple spoonfuls of tomato sauce and alfredo sauce on top of this layer and then swirl with a knife. Finally I add some mozzarella or Italian cheese blend on top. The first layers are now complete.
Repeat this process again, adding noodle, ricotta mixture, veggies, sauce, and then one more layer of cheese. Finally I add the last noodle layer, tomato sauce to cover the pasta and then I add a layer of cheese. Dust the top of the lasagna with oregano, salt, and pepper.
With the remaining ingredients, assemble your second lasagna repeating the prior steps. This is very important - Daddy says, “Always have a lasagna in the freezer - you never know when you won’t want to cook.” Whichever lasagna is going into the freezer, wrap it with plastic wrap and then foil and throw it in the freezer for later.
To cook the fresh lasagna cover with tin foil and bake at 375° for 30 min - remove the foil and turn the broiler on, broil the lasagna until the cheese on top is a golden melty brown. To cook the frozen lasagna add an extra 5-10 min at 375° and then broil.
Substitutions and Tips
Typically I use jarred sauce unless I have some frozen sauce already in the freezer…I know lazy, but it really saves time when you’re making dinner for tonight and later. I’ll either buy a local sauce or whatever is cheapest, typically it depends on if it’s a paycheck week or not. It’s still homemade if you use jar sauce and it can be our little secret.
Oh, you have a yellow squash in the fridge? Use it! Veggie lasagna is a vers queen and would love to have whatever veggie you have in the fridge, switch it up and make it seasonal we know it’ll be delicious
Wine Pairing
ESCÁNDALO! A mix of old world meets new world, this is one of my favorite wines. Their carignan is the perfect blend of fruit, spice, and leather, reminiscent of an old world Italian wine that pairs amazingly with the veggie lasagna, full enough that it coats the palate but not so heavy it is the only thing you’ll be able to taste. If you’re in DC pick it up here, if not check out another lighter style carignan, it will be sure to please.