Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

Though I am not a vegan, many of my main meals are free of dairy. I do however have a weakness for cheese and from time to time I will indulge. I will also admit a weakness for lasagna on rare occasions — the occasion this time was a need to satisfy an urge after receiving a cookbook for possible review.

This delightfully cheesy Provençal roasted vegetable lasagna is adapted from Cooking Inspired by Estee Kafra. After leafing through a copy of her book, I was immediately seduced by the beautiful photos throughout. When I got to the lasagnas in the book, I was sold on the idea of a cheesy meal. Craving comfort food, I had a difficult time deciding which one I wanted to try first, but I went with this one because of the number of vegetables included and I happen to adore ricotta and goat cheese. The result was a very lush lasagna with complex and competing flavors.

Ms. Kafra's book is all about "bringing creativity and passion back into the kitchen". All of the recipes are kosher friendly, and selected from KosherScoop.com. There are many gluten-free recipes and ones for Passover too that are easily identified. Over 200 recipes are beautifully presented, complete with photos, most of which are taken by the author. You certainly don't have to be Jewish to enjoy this book. Alas, it is not vegetarian, but there are plenty of offerings for vegetarians and some that vegans could enjoy too. It is a refreshing creative journey illustrating the connection between the senses, friends and family, healthy living and special occasions to food. Certainly I was inspired to get creative in my own kitchen.

As always, the opinions expressed here about this book are my own.

Notes: I made my own tomato sauce for this lasagna as I figured that if I was going to treat myself, the experience could only be enhanced with a homemade sauce. The original recipe called for the inclusion of 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes to be stirred into the roasted vegetables with the olives and capers. Instead, I made a Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce. This time, I changed my sauce a bit. I used a small shallot instead of a large onion, I added about 6 fresh mushrooms, adding them to the pan after sautéing the shallot, ginger and carrot, and omitted the chili flakes and used 1/2 teaspoon each of basil, thyme and oregano instead. I still included a jalapeño for a bit of heat.

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

Recipe by Lisa Turner Adapted from Cooking Inspired Cuisine: Provençal Published on March 5, 2014 Lush, creamy and delicious lasagne with roasted zucchini, eggplant and fennel and topped with a rich zesty sun-dried tomato sauce Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 red onion, chopped 1 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces and halved 1 medium eggplant, sliced into 1/2-inch piece and halved 1 fennel bulb, trimmed and diced 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon dried rosemary fresh cracked black pepper to taste 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved 2 tablespoons capers 2 large eggs 1 2/3 cups ricotta cheese fresh ground black pepper to taste 6 cups tomato sauce 12 rice flour lasagna noodles or other lasagna noodles 1 1/3 cups crumbled soft goat cheese 1 1/2 cups shredded or grated mozzarella or fontina cheese Instructions: Preheat an oven to 425°. In a large bowl, gently toss together the onion, zucchini, eggplant, fennel, oil, rosemary and some fresh cracked black pepper to taste. Transfer to a 13 × 9 inch glass baking dish, taking care to spread the vegetables evenly. Roast the vegetables for 30 to 35 minutes until tender and golden brown, stirring them once part way through the cooking time. Transfer this mixture back to the bowl and gently stir in the olives and capers. Set aside and reduce the heat of the oven to 350°. While the vegetables are roasting, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lasagna noodles and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water, and spread out on damp tea towels. If you want, use oven-ready noodles that don't need to be cooked prior to assembly. In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs and stir in the ricotta and some fresh cracked black pepper until well blended. Spread a ladle-full of sauce over the bottom of the same baking dish used to roast the vegetables. Top with 3 lasagna noodles. Evenly spread 1/3 of the vegetables over top, then 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, and then 1/3 of the crumbled goat cheese. Repeat beginning with the lasagna noodles, two more times. Finish with the remaining lasagna noodles and the remaining sauce. Sprinkle over the mozzarella or fontina cheese and cover loosely with foil. Bake in the 350° oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil at this point and bake for another 30 minutes or until the lasagna is bubbling and the cheese is golden brown. Remove from heat and let the lasagna sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. Makes 8 servings

More lasagna recipes you are sure to enjoy from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Mushroom and Spinach Lasagna
Asparagus Pesto Lasagna with Mushrooms
Ricotta Pesto and Mushroom Lasagna

On the top of the reading stack: Rawsome Vegan Baking: An Un-cookbook for Raw, Gluten-Free, Vegan, Beautiful and Sinfully Sweet Cookies, Cakes, Bars & Cupcakes by Emily von Euw

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