Cheesy Lasagna with Veggies

Honestly, I don't think just "Cheesy Lasagna with Veggies" is very accurate...it should be "CHHHEEEESSSYYY Lasagna with Veggies" instead. My husband can't get enough of this recipe (he is addicted to cheese!). It's so delicious though! Trust me, one slice won't be enough, you will definitely be coming back for seconds with this dish!
One thing I have yet to learn in the kitchen is the order of making things. I always start the noodles too early when making this dish, and end up having to rush making everything else, so I'm going to give you the recipe in the direction that I have learned is best to make it without having to rush at the end to get it all in the pan before the noodles get too soggy! :)

You will need:

12 lasagna noodles
2 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 slivered carrots
2 heads of chopped broccoli
1 chopped onion
2 heads of chopped cauliflower
1 chopped red bell pepper
3 minced garlic cloves
1/2 cup of flour
3 cups of milk
3/4 cup of parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp of salt and pepper
1 cup chopped spinach
8 oz small curd cottage cheese
24 oz ricotta cheese

Directions

1) Sauté your vegetables

2 heads of broccoli; chopped
2 heads of cauliflower; chopped
2 carrots; slivered
1 onion; chopped
1 bell pepper; chopped

place all the vegetables in a frying pan, put in 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil and add 3 minced cloves of garlic. Let sit for about 7 minutes, occasionally stirring until soft.

2) Cook 12 lasagna noodles until al dente, drain and set aside

3) Make your sauce (while noodles are cooking)

1/2 cup of flour
3 cups of milk
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups of chopped spinach

Mix flour and milk in the frying pan and stir until it is well mixed, then allow to thicken up slightly. Once the flour and milk has thickened add in the parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Stir until well mixed, then add in chopped spinach. Set aside 1/2 cup in a small dish to top your lasagna with at the end.

4) Make your cheese mix

8 oz of small curd cottage cheese
24 oz of ricotta cheese

Mix together in a small bowl and set aside.

5) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish and spread 1/2 cup of the spinach mixture across the bottom, then 2 cups of mozzarella cheese. Lay about 3-4 noodles over top, then add some of the ricotta mix spreading it evenly across the noodles followed by half the vegetable mixture. Continue to layer the cheese, vegetables and noodles, ending with a layer of lasagna noodles on top. Top the noodles with the reserved 1/2 cup spinach mix, 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of basil.

6) Bake at 375 for 35 minutes until it has browned on top. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.



Bon Appetit!!