Chunky Vegetable Lasagna

photo by Roxygirl in Colorado

- Ready In:
- 1hr 40mins
- Ingredients:
- 20
- Serves:
-
8-10
ingredients
-
SAUCE
- 6 cups giardiniera, sauce Veggie Marinara Sauce (for Pasta)
- 1⁄4 cup tomato paste
-
CHEESE
- 2⁄3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 3 1⁄3 cups mozzarella cheese, grated
-
BECHAMEL
- 1 1⁄2 cups milk
- 1 cup cream or 1 cup half-and-half
- 1 pinch white pepper
- 1 pinch thyme
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 1 pinch basil
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1⁄3 cup flour, plus
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1⁄3 cup parmesan cheese, plus
- 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons romano cheese
-
NOODLES
- 12 cooked noodles
-
TOPPING
- 1⁄4 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon very finely chopped parsley
directions
- Mix together mozzarella and feta cheeses and set aside.
- To make bechamel sauce:heat milk, cream, and spices together in microwave safe bowl and heat until near boil.
- Melt butter in large saucepan.
- Add flour and cook for 2 minutes on medium-low heat.
- Gradually stir in hot milk and cream mixture.
- Raise heat to medium-high and continue stirring until mixture is smooth and thick, about 5 minutes.
- Add Parmesan and Romano cheeses and whisk until smooth.
- To make topping: mix together bread crumbs, Parmesan, and parsley.
-
TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE:
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Spread 3 tablespoons of the Giardiniera Sauce in bottom of 9x13 pan.
- Put in one layer of lasagna noodles.
- Spoon on 3 cups of sauce.
- Spread a scant cup of the bechamel across the sauce in two diagonals (no need to spread evenly at this point).
- Top with 2 cups of cheese mixture.
- Lay on another layer of lasagna noodles and repeat, using same amounts of sauce, bechamel, and cheese.
- Top with last layer of noodles, and with fingertips, press lightly to distribute bechamel smoothly in the layers (use every bit of white sauce in pan).
- Using long narrow metal spatula, "frost" top layer of noodles with remaining bechamel.
- Be sure to completely cover noodles so that they do not dry out in baking.
- Sprinkle evenly with bread crumb mixture.
- Bake lasagna at 400°F for about 60 minutes or until sauce bubble around the edges and top is nicely browned.
- If top browns too quickly, cover with foil.
- If baking lasagna straight from the freezer, add about 20 minutes to cooking time.
- Once out of oven, let lasagna set up for about 20 minutes before cutting.
- Serves 8-10.
Questions & Replies

Got a question?
Share it with the community!
Reviews
-
Delicious!!! This was the first time I've ever made lasagna, and it turned out great. Instead of giardiniera pasta sauce, I used canned sauce and added cauliflower, broccoli, garlic, onions, zucchini, and a can of tomatoes. I inadvertently skipped the tomato paste and used fresh ground black pepper instead of white pepper. Regardless, it was some of the best lasagna I've ever had.
Tweaks
-
Delicious!!! This was the first time I've ever made lasagna, and it turned out great. Instead of giardiniera pasta sauce, I used canned sauce and added cauliflower, broccoli, garlic, onions, zucchini, and a can of tomatoes. I inadvertently skipped the tomato paste and used fresh ground black pepper instead of white pepper. Regardless, it was some of the best lasagna I've ever had.