I. Love. Italian food. I don't know anyone who can honestly say they don't. I also love vegetarian food. I
do know
plenty of people who can honestly say they don't. My goal is to change their minds with this; my favorite vegetarian lasagna recipe.
Isn't she gorgeous? And not as complicated or time consuming as one would think. Here are some tips:
- Do not fear the roux. If you've read my post about Macaroni & Deliciousness, then you will know I once feared the roux. But it's easy and worth facing the phobia in order to get a good Béchamel. And don't be afraid of the intimidating name; it's just white gravy.
- Don't make it too hard on yourself. The zucchini and eggplant can be trick to slice correctly if you don't have a mandolin, and the whole marinating and grilling thing can be a deterrent to doing this at all if you're not in the mood. I recommend Trader Joe's eggplant and zucchini mélange. They sell it in the frozen food section, so make sure it's fully thawed before you use it.
- Fresh pasta is best, but don't beat yourself up about it. If you use dry lasagna, par-boil to a bit firmer than preferable to eat by itself. Don't boil the hell out of it; the rest of the cooking will come in the oven.
- What? No tomato sauce?! That's right. Trust me on this one. Try it at least once and if you really want some red, drippy, overly robust casserole thing, do it next time.
- As always, make it your own. Sometimes, when I'm feeling cheesy, I'll add some extra goat cheese or Fontina. Sometimes I increase the amount of sauce, tinker with some extra nutmeg, toss in some sun-dried tomatoes or what have you. I recommend against black olives in this one, despite how much I love them, but if that's your thing, that's your thing.
When all is said and done you should have a deliciously oozy, crispy on the top, melty in the middle, delightfully veggie laden plate of awesomeness. Something like this...
Buon Appetito!
Fancy Pants Vegetarian Lasagna
Olive Oil (for brushing the pan)
2 eggplants, sliced
4 small zucchini, sliced
2 Tbsp butter
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 Tbsp finely chopped Italian parsley (flat leaf)
1 Tbsp finely chopped Marjoram
1 Tbsp finely chopped Oregano
2 Tbsp chiffonade Basil
10 oz shredded Mozzarella (Sometimes I will substitute with a bag of good "Italian Blend" pre-shred)
1 pint (about 2.5 cups) strained canned tomatoes (S&W usually, or San Marzano if I remember to buy fancy pants tomatoes)
1 box no-precook lasagna (if you can't find it, par-boil regular lasagna until bendable but not fully cooked)
1 pint
Béchamel sauce (recipe below)
4 oz freshly grated Parmesan
Salt & Pepper
Preheat oven to 400F. Brush a large ovenproof dish w/olive oil.
Brush a large grill pan w/olive oil and heat until slightly smoking
Cook eggplant slices on grill and over medium heat for 8 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towel if needed.
Melt butter in a skillet and add the garlic, zucchini and herbs. Cook over medium heat stirring frequently for 5 minutes or until the zucchini are golden brown all over. Remove from pan and drain of paper towels.
Layer the eggplant, zucchini, mozzarella, strained tomatoes, half of the béchamel sauce and lasagna in the ovenproof dish, seasoning with salt and pepper as you go. Final layer should be lasagna.
Pour remaining béchamel sauce over everything, making sure all the pasta is covered.
Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.
Béchamel Sauce
1/2 stick butter (2 oz)
1/4 cup flour (2 oz)
2 cups whole milk
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper
freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
Melt butter, add flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly for 1 minute
Remove the pan from heat and gradually stir in milk
Return the pan to the heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly until thickened and smooth.
Add the bay leaf and let simmer gently for 2 minutes.
Remove the bay leaf and season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg
