maria’s delicious roasted vegetable lasagna

This is one of my family’s favorites. A hearty go-to dish that feeds a large crowd and makes everyone happy. Every time. You won’t find the recipe in a cookbook. This one was created by my awesome daughter-in-law, so I’ve named it Maria’s Delicious Roasted Vegetable Lasagna. 

The best thing about this lasagna (other than its deliciousness) is the fact that it is really hearty without being overly rich and heavy. It’s loaded with roasted veggies and cheese but there’s not an ounce of ricotta to be found. Don’t get me wrong …we’re big fans of ricotta cheese around here but in this dish it’s just not necessary.

Full disclosure here …there’s a fair amount of prep work on this.

Actually, not so much work but you do need to allow time to roast the vegetables before assembling your lasagna. Unless you’re fortunate enough to have two ovens, the veggies are roasted in two batches.

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
  

I like to peel the eggplant before slicing it. Just a personal preference of ours but feel free to leave the skin on if you like. Try to make the slices uniform in size so that they will roast evenly.

• Arrange the eggplant and zucchini on large rimmed sheet pans lined with parchment paper.
• Brush generously with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt & pepper.
• Roast for about 25 minutes.
• Set aside.
  

As the eggplant and zucchini are roasting, it’s time to get the portobello mushrooms prepared for the oven.

• Arrange the mushroom slices on large rimmed sheet pans lined with parchment paper.
• Brush generously with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt & pepper.
• Roast until cooked through for 20 minutes.
• Set aside.
  

While the veggies are roasting, the spinach needs to be prepared. That takes just a few minutes since you’ll be sautéing it long enough to just wilt the leaves.

• Heat one tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in a large pan.
• Add the baby spinach and season with salt & pepper.
• Sauté the spinach as you continuously move it around in the pan until it just begins to wilt.
• Transfer the cooked spinach to a colandar to drain.
• When cool enough to handle, remove any excess moisture by squeezing with your hands.
• Chop the spinach and set aside.

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Add the lasagna noodles.
• Cook for half the recommended cooking time, about 4 to 5 minutes.
• Set aside in single layers on parchment paper.
  

Before we continue, let’s talk about the tomato sauce…

Maria cooks up a delicious homemade marinara sauce that is ready to enjoy in less than an hour. For this post, I used our favorite prepared variety, Lidia’s Marinara Sauce.

Use your personal favorite or give Maria’s sauce a try. I’ve included the recipe details for your convenience.

It’s time to set up your assembly line and build your very own version of Maria’s Delicious Roasted Vegetable Lasagna.

Be sure to use a baking dish that is fairly high-sided.

I use a Bobby Flay stoneware baking dish that is similar to this Emile Henry rectangular baker and it easily holds the contents without any spillover.

You’ll be constructing two layers of roasted veggies sandwiched between three layers of lasagna noodles. 

• Cover the bottom of a 9″ by 13″ by 2.5″ baking dish or pan with marinara sauce.
• Arrange a layer of lasagna noodles, slightly overlapping and/or cut to fit.
• Place a single layer of each roasted vegetable – eggplant, then zucchini, then mushroom – using about half of them.
• Evenly distribute half of the cooked spinach on top followed by half of the mozzarella and basil.
• Sprinkle 1/4 of the grated parmesan over that.
• Carefully cover with marinara sauce.

• Repeat with another layer of noodles, vegetables, cheeses and sauce, followed by a finishing layer of noodles.
• Top them off with the remaining sauce and parmesan cheese.
  
• Cover dish with foil and bake at 375°F until bubbly for 45 to 60 minutes.
• Remove the foil for the final 15 minutes.
• Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

Depending on the actual dimensions of your baking dish, the lasagna will need to hang out in the oven anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour.

Remember – cover the dish with foil then uncover for the final 15 minutes so that the top layer can get a bit “crusty.”

Be sure to allow the lasagna to sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before cutting into it.

The juices need that time to be reabsorbed. You’ll find that by being patient you’ll have cleaner servings. 

Maria’s Delicious Roasted Vegetable Lasagna is the perfect crowd pleaser.

The vegetarians at the table will be ready to dig in. Use gluten-free pasta and you’ll have those gluten-intolerant folks asking for more.

And the kids may not even notice that they’re eating more than their fair share of vegetables. An all-around win, for sure.

Thank you, Maria. ❤️

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More delicious roasted goodness…