Grilled Veggie Lasagna

This recipe was created using the produce I had on-hand.  I had 2 small eggplants and 3 small zucchini.  I grilled the veggies and then cut them up and used them as the “meat” in this veggie lasagna.  The end result is a smoky tasting lasagna.  Enjoy!

Grilled Veggie Lasagna

Ingredients

¨            3 small zucchini

¨            2 small eggplants

¨            1 ½ jars of your favorite tomato sauce

¨            1 package of lasagna noodles

¨            2 containers of ricotta cheese

¨            1 teaspoon dried basil

¨            1 egg

¨            Salt and pepper to taste

¨            1 bag of mozzarella cheese

¨            ¼ cup of parmesan cheese

 

Directions

1.    Peel eggplant, cut into large circles about ½ inch thick.  Salt and let sit for 30 minutes to get rid of bitter juices.  Rinse to remove salt and pat dry with paper towel, coat with olive oil.

2.   Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3.   In large bowl combine the ricotta cheese, salt and pepper, basil parmesan cheese and egg, set aside.

4.   Cut zucchini into long strips about ½ inch thick, coat with olive oil

5.   Cook zucchini and eggplant on grill over medium heat until soft.  About 7 minutes on each side.

6.   Allow veggies to cool slightly and cut into small pieces.  Add to ricotta cheese mixture.

7.   In 9X13 baking dish, put down a layer of lasagna noodles.  Cover with tomato sauce; add 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture.  Continue to layer until you run of out ingredients.  Your final layer should be cheese.

8.   Cook for 1 hour in oven.

9.   Allow to sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Overall

This lasagna was delicious!  The smoky flavors from the grill gave it a great flavor.  I will be making this again.

Frugality

The zucchini was $.77, the eggplants were $1 each from Sprouts.  The ricotta was $5 for both containers and the mozzarella was $2 from Fresh and Easy.  The lasagna noodles were $2 and the pasta sauce was $2.  The total for a big pan of delicious lasagna is $13.77. 

Look Forward To

I have some brussel sprouts and some green beans to use.

Kate's Veggie Lasagna

This recipe is one of my favorite ways to use up all the veggies I have in the house.  In this case, I had broccoli, red bell peppers, zucchini and onions.  You can use whatever vegetables you have on hand though.  This recipe fills a 9 X 13 pan to the tippy top.  Enjoy!

Kate’s Veggie Lasagna

Ingredients

o   1 pound of broccoli, cut into small florets

o   3 red bell peppers, diced

o   2 sweet yellow onions, diced

o   2 medium zucchini, sliced

o   2 15 ounce containers of part skim ricotta cheese

o   1 egg

o   2 jars of your favorite pasta sauce

o   Extra virgin olive oil (enough to coat a large pan)

o   1 tablespoon dried basil

o   1 tablespoon dried oregano

o   Salt, to taste

o   1 package of lasagna noodles

o   1 bag shredded mozzarella cheese (I used part-skim)

o   ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese

o   4 cloves garlic, minced

 

Directions

1.   Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2.  In a large pan, coat bottom with EVOO, add onion, broccoli, bell peppers, garlic and zucchini.  Cook until the veggies are soft and the onions have a golden color.  Add salt to taste.

3.  In a large bowl combine ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, basil, oregano and egg.  Stir.

4.  Add veggies to cheese mixture, stir.

5.  In 9 X 13 baking pan (I used glass but metal is good too), make layer in this order- uncooked lasagna noodles, ½ cup sauce, 1/3 veggie/cheese mixture, 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese.  Repeat layering until your ingredients are all used up.

6.  Cook for an hour and serve warm.

Overall

This is my go-to recipe for veggie lasagna.  The flavor of the fresh vegetables goes great with the 3 kinds of cheese.  This full pan of lasagna will definitely provide some great leftovers!  Enjoy!

Frugality

This is not my cheapest meal but its worth every penny.  The pasta sauce was on sale 2 for $2 at Fresh and Easy.  The broccoli was $.88, the squash was also $.88 both from Sprouts.  The bell peppers were 3 for $1 at Sprouts, the onions were about a dollar.  The ricotta cheese was $4 from Fresh and Easy, the spices, parm, garlicv and EVOO were on hand.  The lasagna noodles were $2 and the mozz was $2 both from Fresh and Easy.  The grand total for this pan of deliciousness is 13.76 and enough food to feed you for a good few days.

Look Forward To

I still have a spaghetti squash and 2 portobella mushrooms to use and I will be getting a produce basket from my local co-op on Saturday morning.