Tom Saaristo Vegetable Lasagna with Ricotta Tomato Sauce

http://tomsaaristo.com

Vegetable Lasagna
with Creamy Ricotta & Rich-n-Quick Tomato Sauce

I prefer a smooth, creamy ricotta compared with the more grainy variety. Short of buying and tasting all the ricotta brands, it's impossible to know what you're getting until you open the carton. A grainy-textured ricotta, however, can be quickly made smooth in a food processor.

1 pound each of 2 vegetables [see options and cooking instructions HERE]

Rich-n-Quick Tomato Sauce

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium onions, halved and sliced thin
2 minced garlic cloves
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
coarse salt
freshly ground black pepper
15 oven-ready lasagna noodles
1 pound grated mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Prepare vegetables [as above] to yield about 4 cups; set aside.

For the tomato sauce:
Heat butter over medium-high heat in a soup kettle.
Add onions and cook, stirring frequently until soft and golden brown,
about 10 minutes. Add garlic and basil; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds longer.
Stir in tomatoes, rinsing out cans with about 1/4 cup water
and adding it to the pot. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low,
and simmer to blend flavors, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt,
if necessary, and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, mix 1 1/2 Tbs. salt and 2 quarts of very hot tap water in
the13-by 9-inch pan for baking the lasagna. Add noodles and soak until
soft and pliable, 10 minutes. Drain and stack loosely.
[Noodles tend to stick together as they dry, but pull apart easily].

Preheat oven to 425.
Adjust oven rack to upper middle position

Smear 1/2 cup of the sauce over bottom of baking dish.

Assemble the next 4 layers in the following order:
3 noodles
6 tablespoons ricotta cheese spread over the noodles
a heaping 2/3 cup sauce
1/2 of one of the cooked vegetables [alternating each layer],
1/4 cup mozzarella
2 tablespoons Parmesan.

Assemble final layer with remaining noodles, sauce and cheeses.
Seal lasagna with foil and bake until bubbly, about 35 minutes.

Remove foil, then broil until cheese is spotty brown, 5 to 7 minutes longer.

Let stand 10 to 15 minutes, before cutting and serving.