Cooks Illustrated is food science at its best. The publication presents articles that describe recipes that have been tested multiple times with an in-depth analyzation of the results until a final, close to perfect, recipe is discovered. I couldn't have been happier to see vegetable lasagna in this month's issue. We have had larger than life zucchini's growing in our garden as well as eggplant and I want to put them to good use. I have tried making a meatless version of one of my favorite dishes and have found that it is either tasteless, too watery, or just not good. This three page feature in Cooks's addresses all of these issues and the result is a flavorful and fresh lasagna. Note for anyone who may be fearful because of the cream sauce - Jason dislikes (actually is repulsed by) cottage cheese and heavy cream and went back for seconds. The cream sauce ends up melting into the tomato sauce to create a tomato-cream sauce, and who doesn't love a tomato cream sauce?
Vegetable Lasagna
Serves 8-10
No-Cook Tomato Sauce
1 28oz. can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh basil
2 tblsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
No-Cook Cream Sauce
4 oz shredded parmesan cheese (about 2 cups)
1 cup whole milk cottage cheese
1 cup heavy cream
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Vegetable Filling
1.5 pounds of eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2 cubes (about 7 cups)
Kosher salt and pepper
1 pound of zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (about 4 cups)
1 pound of yellow squash, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (about 4 cups)
5 tblsp. plus 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tblsp. fresh minced thyme
12 oz. of baby spinach (about 12 cups)
12 no-boil lasagna noodles ** (I used Dellalo Organic Whole Wheat and it tasted no different than regular noodles)
1/2 cup minced pitted kalamata olives
3 cups low moisture, shredded, whole milk mozzarella cheese
2 tblsp. fresh basil
For the tomato sauce: Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl and set aside
For the cream sauce: Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl and set aside
For the filling
Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss eggplant with 1 tsp. of salt in large bowl. Line surface of large plate with double layer of coffee filters and lightly spray with vegetable oil spray. Spread eggplant evenly over filters. Microwave eggplant, uncovered, until dry to touch and slightly shriveled, about 10 minutes, tossing halfway through to ensure that eggplant cook evenly. Let cool slightly. Return eggplant to bowl and toss with zucchini and squash.
Combine 1 tblsp oil, garlic, and thyme in small bowl. Heat two tblsp. oil in non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half eggplant mixture, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Push vegetables to the side of the skillet and add half of the garlic/thyme mixture to clearing and cook, mashing with spatula until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Stir to combine vegetable mixture with garlic and transfer to a medium bowl. Repeat with remaining vegetables and garlic mixture.
Return skillet to medium high heat and add a tsp. oil, add spinach to heated oil and sautee until just wilted. Transfer spinach to paper-towel lined plate. Drain for a couple minutes. Stir spinach into eggplant mixture.
To assemble: Spray 9 by 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1 cup tomato sauce in bottom of baking dish, line up 4 noodles on top of sauce. Spread half of the vegetable mixture over noodles, followed by half of olives, half of cream sauce, and 1 cup of mozzarella. Repeat layering with 4 noodles, 1 cup of tomato sauce, remaining vegetables, remaining olives, remaining cream sauce, and 1 cup of mozzarella. Place remaining 4 noodles on top layer of cheese. Spread remaining 1 cup of tomato sauce over noodles and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella. Lightly spray large sheet of foil with oil-spray and cover lasagna. Bake until bubbling about 35 minutes.
** NOTE - This lasagna weighed about 7 pounds when all is said and done. We baked it for the 35 minutes covered and then it was barely warm in the middle. We then turned the heat up to 400 and bakes for another 25 minutes uncovered and that did the trick. Add fresh, chopped basil on top and let the lasagna cool for at least 10-15 minutes before serving.
