The Cookbook Store: Vegetable Lasagne with Creamy Ricotta and Get-Rich-Quick Tomato Sauce

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Vegetable Lasagne with Creamy Ricotta and Get-Rich-Quick Tomato Sauce

Cooksmart
Pam Anderson
Simple recipes for everyday cooking. Fantastic flavours include: Sweet Potato Purée with Nutmeg and Orange (page 239) and Vegetable Lasagna with Creamy Ricotta and Get-Rich-Quick Tomato Sauce (page 116). Hardcover. $45.00.

Serves 8 to 12.

Any vegetable combination works with this lasagne, but eggplant and onions are a terrific pairing. If the ricotta you purchasse is grainy-textured, whip it in a food processor to smooth it.

1 pound each of 2 vegetables (asparagus and mushrooms; spinach and zucchini; broccoli and carrots; eggplant and bell peppers; or other desired combinations (see page 110).

Get-Rich-Quick Tomato Sauce
3 tablespoons butter
2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1 can crushed tomatoes (28 ounces)
1 can diced tomatoes (14 1/2 ounces)
Salt (optional) and freshly ground black pepper
11/2 tablespoons salt

15 Ronzoni oven-ready lasagna noodles (from 2 packages)
1 1/2 cups smooth ricotta cheese (see note above)
1 pound part-skim mozzarella cheese, grated (about 4 cups)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Prepare vegetables (see below) to yield about 4 cups; set aside.

2. For tomato sauce: Heat butter over medium-high heat in a large pot. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and basil and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds longer. Stir in tomatoes, rinse out cans using about 1/4 cup water and add it to the pot. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and simmer to blend flavors, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt, if necessary, and pepper to taste.

3. Meanwhile, mix salt and 2 quarts very hot tap water in a 13-by-9-inch baking pan. Add the noodles and soak until soft and pliable, 10 minutes. Drain and stack loosely. (Noodles tend to stick together as they dry but pull apart easily.)

4. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Smear 1/2 cup sauce over bottom of baking pan. Assemble next layers in the following order: 3 noodles, 6 tablespoons ricotta cheese spread over noodles; a heaping 2/3 cup sauce, half of one of the cooked vegetables (alternate layers of each kind), 3/4 cup mozzarella, and 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Repeat 3 more times. Then make a final layer with remaining 3 noodles, sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan. (Lasagna can be covered and refrigerated up to 24 hours ahead of time or frozen for up to 3 months; thaw before baking.) Seal lasagna with foil and bake until bubby, about 35 minutes. Remove foil, then broil until cheese is brown-spotted, 5 to 7 minutes longer. Let lasagna stand 10 minutes to firm up. Cut and serve.

Steam-Sautéed Asparagus, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Carrots or Spinach

Makes about 2 cups

If only thick asparagus is available, halve it lengthwise before cutting it into pieces. To perk up cauliflower, add 1/4 teaspoon dried basil to the pan.

1 pound of one of the following:

-- thin asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
-- Cauliflower, cut into medium florets
-- Broccoli, cut into florets, stalks peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick coins
-- Carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick coins
-- Spinach, rinsed and stemmed

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons butter or olive oil
Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt

Place vegetables, 1/3 cup water (omit water if cooking spinach), garlic, butter or olive oil, and salt in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven. Set lid ajar and cook over high heat until steam starts to vent. Cover and steam until vegetables are brightly colored and just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove lid and contineu to cook until water evaporates. Turn vegetables onto a plate; set aside uncovered. So that the broccoli and cauliflower lie flat, cut florets into thick slices before assembly.