*You can easily switch out the sauteed vegetables for ground beef or Italian sausage, then just add it to your marinara for easy layering. Once assembled, before baking, you can freeze this lasagna. It takes an extra 30-40 minutes to bake from frozen.

Veggie Lasagna

12 no boil lasagna noodles (Barilla brand are my favorite)

3 1/2 cups marinara sauce (I used this recipe)

1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

Sauteed Veggies

1 tablespoon olive oil

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

2-3 zucchini, quartered and sliced (depending on size, 3 if they are medium)

1 1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

White Sauce

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup flour

3 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

White sauce – In a medium saucepan over medium heat melt the 4 tablespoons of butter, then add 1/4 cup flour and stir to thoroughly combine, Then slowly whisk in the milk stirring constantly. Add the salt and pepper and stir occasionally to be sure it isn’t scalding on the bottom, while it comes to a simmer and thickens quite a bit, about 5-7 minutes. Take off the heat, and set aside for now.

Sautéed veggies – In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, add the tablespoon of olive oil and allow it to heat up for a minute. Then add the mushrooms, zucchini, italian seasoning, and salt and pepper. Saute for 5-7 minutes until softened, take off heat and set aside.

Assembling lasagna – Line up all the ingredients next to your 9×13 inch pan. Lay 4 noodles on the bottom, pour in 1 cup marinara sauce and spread it over noodles, followed by 1 cup white sauce and spread it over noodles, spread 1/2 of the veggies over it, and sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/3 cup parmesan over it evenly. Repeat for the second layer. The top layer is the last of the sauces and cheeses in the same order. Then bake for 30-40 minutes, until it is bubbling around the edges, and golden on top.

Let it rest for 10 minutes, and then serve and enjoy!

I love Italian food, and Todd has this sincere dislike of overly cheesy food. (I know, crazy!) So when I discover the concept of using a white sauce in place of ricotta or cottage cheese, I was so excited, and Todd loved it! It made me happy to make lasagna I knew we would both enjoy. We do eat meat, but I try to make half or more of our meals meatless to up our veggie intake.

*I originally found this recipe on melskitchencafe.com, one of my favorite food blogs, I modified by using my sauce, and using veggies instead of meat.

Spaghetti Sauce

* This is a recipe I got from my mom, and it’s my favorite. I quadrupled it, and froze the extra in quart size bags with the amounts and date. And the easiest way to get the tomato paste out is to use the can opener to open both ends, remove the metal disc from one side, flip it over and push the other end all the way through the can and dispose of that end.

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced or 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup diced onion (medium onion)

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning (or 1 teaspoon basil, 1 teaspoon oregano, and 1 teaspoon marjoram)

1 15 oz. can tomato sauce

1 6 oz. can tomato paste

1 15 oz can diced tomatoes (or 2 cups coarsely chopped fresh tomatoes)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1-2 teaspoons honey (to taste)

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat, add the onions and saute until translucent (5-6 minutes), add the garlic and saute until fragrant (30 seconds). Add the Italian seasoning/s,tomato sauce, tomatoes, and tomato paste, stir to combine. Add the salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon of honey, taste and adjust as needed. Bring to a simmer, and then turn to low, cover and simmer for 1-2 hours stirring occasionally. Makes 4 cups, and freezes beautifully.

I love having easy foods ready to go in the freezer so I always make a huge batch and freeze some of it. It makes easy and delicious dinners.