Lowfat Vegetarian Lasagna Alfredo

This is a lightened-up version for those of us trying to cut the butter and cream. But it's delicious and creamy and tastes very decadent. It also has a little kick from the pepper jack.

• Ready In: 1 hr 20 mins
• Serves: 8
• Yields: 1 9x13 pan

Ingredients

• 1  teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1  tablespoon olive oil
• 2  cups low-fat milk
• 1  cup fat-free chicken broth
• 4  tablespoons flour
• 1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1  dash nutmeg
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 2  cups carrots, julienned
• 2  cups zucchini, julienned
• 8  ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1⁄2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1  onion, chopped
• 3⁄4 teaspoon  italian seasoning
• 1  tablespoon olive oil
• 1  lb low fat cottage cheese
• 1  egg
• 1⁄4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 2  cups monterey jack pepper cheese, grated
• 1 (16 ounce) box  oven-ready  lasagna noodles
• 1  medium tomatoes, diced
• 1  pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions

1. To make the sauce, saute the garlic in 1 tablespoons olive oil for 1 minute. Mix together milk, flour, and chicken broth, simmer until thickened and bubbly. Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add 1/4 Celsius parmesan and stir until melted.
2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in large saute pan and add carrots, squash, pepper, mushrooms, onion, and italian seasoning. Saute until vegetables are crisp-tender.
3. Pulse cottage cheese in food processor a few times until smoother but not too smooth, about the consistency of ricotta. Add egg and 1/4 Celsius parmesan and pulse a couple of times until blended.
4. Pour a small amount of sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 pan (enough to cover bottom). Press a layer of noodles into the sauce. Top with 1/3 of the cottage cheese mixture. Top with 1/3 of the vegetables and 1/3 of the pepper jack cheese. Repeat: sauce, noodles, cottage cheese, veg, and pepper jack two more times. Add one more layer of pasta on the top and pour the rest of the sauce over and top with chopped tomato. (Sprinkle on more parmesan if desired.).
5. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Let sit for ten minutes before serving. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes if desired.