Veggie-licious Lasagna - Fun With Food #Recipe

I love lasagna!

I get just about as excited to dig into a nice lasagna dinner as Garfield does. Okay, I don't go to those lengths to get my fix and only prepare this meal every few months. But, I savor every bite!

My Mom used to make me a birthday lasagna. She would write out "Happy B-day" in mozzarella cheese. Yeah, good memories.

As an adult I have made my own lasagna tradition. Don't tell my Mom, but I am not a fan of the grease that comes with a hearty meat lasagna. I decided to veggie-fy my favorite and came up with my own vegetable-packed lasagna that is a healthier version of the classic.

I start this dish out with my own homemade spaghetti sauce, but use whatever our family likes.

Andrea's Veggie-licious Lasagna

You Will Need:
1 eggplant, cubed
1 zuchinni, sliced and quartered
1 summer squash, sliced and quartered
1 Tbsp. butter
Olive oil

1 pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and extra liquid squeezed out
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 c. ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
salt and pepper

10 lasagna noodles
4 c. tomato sauce - jarred or homemade, your choice!
1 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
handful of baby spinach leaves

Start by sauteing the veggies. I do the eggplant separately from the squash. Use 1/2 Tbsp. of butter and a little olive oil. Heat until the veggies are tender. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the chopped spinach, garlic, cheese, egg and nutmeg. Stir well and add a dash of salt and pepper. Set aside.

Spray your casserole dish with non-stick spray, prepare all your ingredients for assembly. I have my bowl of sauce handy with a small ladle, my sauteed veggies in one bowl and my ricotta mixture in another.

Now boil the lasagna noodles as directed on the box. To keep them from sticking I like to use them right away. Put a little tomato sauce on the bottom of your dish and put you first layer of noodles on the bottom. I like to overlap each noodle a little bit.

Then top the noodles with a little more sauce and then arrange half of the squash and eggplant on top of that.

Cover this with some of the ricotta mixture and top with a little more mozzarella.

Then add another layer of noodles, some sauce, the remaining veggies, ricotta, cheese and the last layer of noodles. I like to top my lasagna with the remaining sauce, a handful of baby spinach leaves and the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Then I topped that with just a sprinkle of dried basil.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes. The cheese should be melted and the lasagna should be bubbly. Allow it to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

This was another Fun with Food Friday post.

This week's recipe is my own creation. I love getting a hearty amount of veggies in such a fun meal and making my childhood favorite just a little better for me.

Check out more Fun with Food Friday co-hosts with: 

Johanna from Mama Chocolate & her Banana Muffins
 Angie from Little Inspiration