I have a confession to make. This recipe was supposed to be for some beautiful vegetable cannelloni rolls, but things didn’t turn out as planned. As I was cooking everything up, getting ready to prepare the lasagna to act as rolls, I realized that the noodles were no where near as wide as I’d need them to be. Because this recipe doesn’t include any ricotta cheese to bind the filling together, I’d either need some wider lasagna noodles or some cannelloni rolls. I had neither, but I did happen to have some rather nice regular lasagna noodles at the ready. That’s when I decided to throw caution to the wind and go with the regular lasagna. Luckily, it turned out wonderfully!
The Recipe
Overall, I’d say this lasagna is just as easy or difficult (easy) to prepare than any other. What I like about it is the use of eggplant, spinach and mushroom. I can’t say which is my favorite, because they are all good.
For the sauce, I doubled up on my famous sauce recipe. That’s always a big hit. And for cheese, I went with a combination of mozzarella and Parmesan. The taste was definitely there. When making this dish, just be careful about how much salt you add. Because the vegetables happen to suck up any salt you throw in, you need to make sure you add enough to give things flavor. I’ll guide you down below, but you’ll need to taste as you go.
Ingredients
Serves 6-8
For the Lasagna
1 Large Eggplant, Cut into Small Cubes
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
1 Package (box) Frozen Spinach, Defrosted and Squeezed
2 Garlic Cloves, Minced
1 Tablespoon Ground Cumin
24 Ounces Mushrooms, Chopped
16 Ounce Package Dry Lasagna Noodles
1 Tablespoon Dried Oregano
1 Tablespoon Dried Basil
16 Ounces Mozzarella Cheese, Cut into Small Cubes
4 Ounces Grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt
Ground Black Pepper
For the Sauce
2 Large Cans (28 Ounces) of Crushed Tomatoes
2 Large Sweet Onions, Chopped
4 Tablespoons Butter
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Dried Oregano
2 Garlic Cloves, Minced
1 Teaspoon Sugar
2 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
4 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Basil and/or Parsley
Ground Black Pepper
Ste-by-Step Instructions
I’d like to thank the author of my newest cookbook acquisition, Favorite Vegetarian Dishes. I can’t seem to find the author of the book, so I’ll leave them nameless. I will tell you that almost all of the recipes in the book look so delicious. I haven’t found any I wouldn’t make yet. Not bad for a $5 purchase down at the used book store.
Make the Sauce
To prepare the sauce, please follow these instructions. You may also want to bookmark the recipe page because I’m betting that you’re going to want to make more of it in the future. It’s great for pasta.
Pre-Heat Oven
Arrange your oven racks so one is in the center position and then pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
Cook the Lasagna Noodles
Fill a large pot with cold water. Add one tablespoon of salt to it and bring the water to a boil over high heat. When the water is boiling, add the lasagna noodles, stir so they don’t stick together and then allow to cook for 10 minutes. When finished, drain the contents of the pot through a colander and then rinse under cold water. Set aside.
Cook the Vegetables
Warm a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once to temperature, add the olive oil, eggplant, mushrooms, spinach, garlic and cumin to it. Then, stirring occasionally, cook these ingredients for about 20 minutes or until everything is good and soft. Even browned in some spots. After this, add one teaspoon of salt to the mixture as well as 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Mix this well and season to your own liking. You may need to add more salt and pepper.
Assemble the Lasagna & Cook
Add a few ladle-fuls of the sauce to a 13″x9″ casserole. Spread it around. Then, add a layer of lasagna noodles so they cover the sauce. After that, spread half of the mushroom, spinach and eggplant mixture across the lasagna noodles. Add just enough sauce to cover the mixture. Then, add another layer of noodles to cover the previous layer and then the remaining mushroom mixture and a bit more sauce on top of that. Finally, add another layer of noodles on top and then spread out the remaining sauce over everything. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese as well as the mozzarella cheese over the top. Then, sprinkle the dried oregano and basil on top of that.
Place the casserole in the oven, uncovered for about 30 minutes or until the cheese on top begins to brown. If you want some more color on top, you can place the lasagna under the broiler for a minute or two. That’s always a good trick to make things like this more appetizing.
Serve & Enjoy
I’d say this was easy enough to prepare. When the lasagna comes out of the oven, cut it up into a few pieces, plate and serve hot. I think you’re going to love this one!
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