Summer Vegetable Lasagna

I don't know about you but when I think about summer cuisine I immediately think  about fresh vegetables. There are so many great vegetables available and in season at this time of year so of course I had to make a dish that utilized these veggies.

 This summer lasagna has layers upon layers of fresh roasted vegetables (Oh yeah!). I used a cauliflower mixture in place of ricotta and tossed in some fresh Parmesan in between layers. This lasagna is light yet full of flavor. It isn't vegan since I used real parm. (Say what?) but this dish could easily be made vegan by substituting the parm. with your favorite vegan cheese (now we're talkin'). 

Grab your veggies and get ready..

Ingredients for Summer Vegetable Lasagna:

Roasted Veggies:

1 eggplant

1 large zucchini 

2-4 yellow squash (depending on size; mine were little babies so I used 4)

1 red bell pepper

1 tomato 

2-4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Thyme to taste

Cauliflower "Ricotta" Mixture:

1 head of cauliflower

1/4 c. Almond milk or soy 

2 tbsp. Italian seasonings 

Oregano to taste

Salt and pepper to taste 

Additional Ingredients for Assembling Lasagna:

1 c. Baby spinach 

1-1/2 c. Shredded or shaved Parmesan (or vegan shreds)

1-1/2 c. Tomato sauce (I used a sauce already seasoned with basil and oregano. If using plain just add whatever to taste)

Lasagna noodles (I used oven ready)

Directions:

First we've got to roast our veggies. This is so simple I could cry. Seriously if you have never  roasted veggies you should start. It's easy and makes any vegetable taste mouthwatering.

So that the eggplant is good to go I first salt my sliced eggplant heavily with sea salt and then lay the slices on paper towels. I then cover my slices and let sit for 15 minutes so that excess moisture is released. 

In the meantime I line my cookie sheets and pans with foil for easy cleanup. 

Slice your remaining veggies: zucchini and squash (can do long ways or circles.. Doesn't matter). 

Cut up your red pepper into strips as well. Slice the tomato and place slices on pan. Drizzle veggies with olive oil and pile on the seasonings (thyme, oregano, salt and pepp.). Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 20 minutes. 

While my veggies are roasting I chopped and then boiled my cauliflower pieces until soft. Once the cauliflower is soft, put in a blender with almond milk and seasonings, parm. (salt and pepp, oregano, Italian seasonings and parm to taste). 

Once roasted vegetables are out, begin to layer your lasagna. Spray a large rectangle glass pan. Spread some tomato sauce on the bottom and then layer eggplant slices. Top with baby spinach and some parm. 

Next add noodles and top with cauliflower mixture. Layer zucchini slices and noodles again. 

Top with sauce, peppers, squash, and tomato slices. Add a sprinkling of Parmesan and cover with foil. 

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes until cheese gets crispy on top. 

This pan of lasagna made plenty and is just as delicious the next day! 

Summer is slipping away so I am definitely going to have to make this summer vegetable lasagna again before it's too late! 

Even though let's be honest, this lasagna could be easily made year round using your favorite available vegetables. Whoop whoop! 

Dig in,

~Crago