Veggie Lasagna W Garlic Bread Crumb Topping Recipes

VEGETABLE LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
• In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, zucchini, bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Cook and stir the veggies just until tender (about 3-5 minutes).
• While the veggies cook, use a separate bowl to stir together egg, parsley, basil, ricotta cheese, 1 ¼ cups mozzarella, and ¼ cup Parmesan.
• When the vegetables are done cooking, stir the marinara sauce into the skillet.
• Spread ¼ of the marinara-vegetable sauce mixture in a thin layer in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with 3 no-boil lasagna noodles (or as many as you need to cover a single layer in the dish), ⅓ of the ricotta mixture, and another ¼ of the sauce mixture.
• Repeat layers two more times. Finish with remaining 1 cup of mozzarella and ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese on top. Cover with a piece of greased foil.
• Bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil, and bake for another 5-10 minutes (or until heated through and cheese on top is browned). Let stand for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

VEGETABLE LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
• In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sweet potato, bell peppers, red onion, zucchini, dried basil, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. Cook until the vegetables are tender and begin to brown, about 10 minutes.
• Add the tomato sauce and balsamic to the vegetables. Stir to combine then bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
• In a large bowl add the ricotta, 1/4 cup Parmesan, egg, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix well, until the mixture is evenly combined.
• Stir in the spinach, using a fork to break it up and distribute it as evenly with the ricotta mixture as possible.
• Spread a thin layer of the vegetable tomato sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish in an even layer. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles on top, breaking the ends if needed so that they fit. Leave some space around the noodles, as they will expand as they cook.
• Top the noodles with 1/3 of the remaining sauce, half of the ricotta mixture, the next 1/3 portion of the sauce, and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella.
• Top with 3 more noodles, the remaining ricotta mixture, and 1/2 cup mozzarella (no tomato sauce in this layer).
• Top the cheese with the 3 final noodles. Spread the remaining sauce over the top.
• Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese and remaining ¼ cup Parmesan.
• Cover the lasagna with foil (be careful not to let the foil touch the top of the cheese or it will stick-I like to stick a few toothpicks in the top of the lasagna so that they are poking up and keep the foil off of the cheese). Bake it covered for 25 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, uncover, and rotate the pan by 180. Continue cooking uncovered for 15 to 20 more minutes, until it is hot and bubbly and the cheese is beginning to have brown spots.
• Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes to set. Sprinkle with fresh basil, then slice and serve.

GARLIC BREADCRUMB TOPPING FOR PASTA

Steps:

• Add the butter and oil to a pan over medium heat. When the butter melts, add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the panko and cook until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve over pasta.

GARLIC BREADCRUMBS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Place the bread slices on a baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted and dry, 10 to 12 minutes. While the bread toasts, place the olive oil and garlic in a sauté pan and set over low heat. Cook gently, allowing the garlic to infuse the oil.
• When the bread slices are toasted, place in a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add the crumbs to the garlic oil and stir gently until coated. Season to taste with salt and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the oil is absorbed. Remove the garlic cloves. The crumbs will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for about 2 weeks.