Vegetable Lasagna

Main Dish

Ingredients

2 Tbsp Olive oil

3 /4 cup Eggplant, peeled and diced, sprinkled with 1 1 /2 tsp salt

3 /4 cup Yellow squash, diced

3 /4 cup Zucchini, diced

1 /2 cup Onion, diced

1 Tbsp Garlic

10 oz package Spinach, fresh, rough chopped

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Black pepper

2 cups Mushroom Béchamel Sauce (see recipe)

2 Eggs

1 15-oz container Ricotta cheese

1 cup Romano cheese, shredded

1 1 /2 tsp Black pepper

1 1 /2 tsp Salt

12 Lasagna sheets, cooked until tender in boiling salted water

1 recipe Tomato Sauce 2

2 cups Mozzarella, shredded

12 slices Tomato, medium size, fresh

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add eggplant and cook for two to three minutes. Add squashes, garlic and onions and cook for eight to 10 minutes more, until the vegetables start to become tender. Add mushroom béchamel, salt and pepper and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, Romano cheese, eggs, salt and pepper. Stir well. Ladle 2 cups of tomato sauce into a three-quart baking dish. Place a layer of three pasta sheets on the sauce and top it with half of the ricotta mixture. Spread half of the vegetable mixture onto the ricotta. Lay another layer of pasta and top with two cups of sauce, spreading evenly. Sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese on top of the sauce. Repeat these two steps again. Arrange tomato slices on top of final layer.

Cover baking dish tightly first with plastic wrap then foil. Bake one hour, remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Allow lasagna to sit for 20 minutes before serving. Use any remaining sauce to top the lasagna with when plating. Yield: 8-12 servings

Recent Recipes

Potato Gratin

Potatoes are the one vegetable I could never give up. Fried, roasted, mashed, or scalloped—doesn’t matter, they’re always on the table in one form or another. This gratin is my favorite way to make them feel a little more special. It’s rich, creamy, and just decadent enough to make it feel like you’re putting in some extra effort. There’s a good bit of cheese in this recipe, but that’s exactly how it should be. The combination of sharp white Cheddar, gruyere, and Parmesan gives it the perfect balance of nuttiness, creaminess, and tang. And using Yukon gold potatoes instead of russets makes a big difference. They have just the right amount of starch to get creamy without getting mushy. This dish is a showstopper on the holiday table, but I’d eat it on a random Tuesday without hesitation.

Orange Cranberry Muffins

These muffins are like Christmas morning in a bite—bright, citrusy orange paired with tart, bursting cranberries. The combination feels like something you'd find in a festive basket dropped off by a thoughtful neighbor. Perfect for Christmas gift giving or to have on hand for guests throughout the holiday.

Chocolate Christmas Cheesecake

Chef Linda Roderick has been by my side through these cookbooks for over two decades, and there’s no one I’d rather have guiding me through a cheesecake recipe. She’s a master of the craft—steady, exacting, and always aiming for perfection. This rich, decadent chocolate cheesecake is no exception. It's all about balance. The deep, smooth chocolate filling meets a crisp, slightly salty crust for a perfect bite every time. Ensure your cream cheese is at room temperature before mixing—otherwise, you’ll end up with lumps. And when you melt the chocolate, give it time to cool slightly before mixing it into the batter, so you don’t end up with curdled filling. It’s worth the patience, every time. A few techniques can elevate this recipe to another level: chilling the dough overnight for a richer flavor, using a water bath to ensure an ultra-smooth texture, and letting the cheesecake rest for at least 24 hours before serving for the best flavor.

RobertStJohn.com