Friday, January 10, 2014

Roasted Vegetable and Butternut Squash Lasagna

This lasagna was made on a day that I had so many veggies in fridge and not sure what to do with them.  I finally decided to roast the veggies thinking I would make a pasta dish or veggie panini's.  I ended up making a low fat Lasagna that was so full of flavor. I was hesitant to make it thinking I only had only 1 cup of Mozzarella cheese.  You don't miss the cheese since the veggies are so flavorful. You can also substitute any veggies that you have as long as you add some flavorful spices to it.  

Little note: This lasagna is a laborious task but so delicious, it is worth the effort.  I make this lasagna over 2 days since there is a lot of prep work. I also don't give the amount on salt and pepper since it is a personal choice. I usually eyeball it.

INGREDIENTS

1 pkg of Lasagna noodles ( I prefer the oven ready) 
Olive oil
1 1lb pkg  butternut squash (I buy the squash precut in large pieces )
1 large yellow, orange and red pepper ( 1 of each)
1 large red onion
4 cloves of garlic
1 12 oz pkg of mushrooms
2 cups of broccoli 
1 frozen box pkg of chopped spinach
1/2 cup of fresh basil
1 large container of 2% cottage cheese
1 cup of parmesan cheese
1-2 cups of mozzerella cheese shredded(depends on how much cheese you like)

Spices:

Salt
Pepper
Crushed red pepper
Tandoori masala


Method:

* I use a Vidallia Onion chopper to dice all my veggies. Makes the laborious task of cutting veggies so much easier.

Prep work:

Dice butternut squash, and peppers.  Put the squash and pepper in separate bowls.
Chop the onions  and broccoli.
Slice the  mushrooms 
Grate the garlic or use a garlic press.

Heat oven to 425º F
Line a baking pan with foil paper. Put the Butternut squash, 1/2 the chopped onions and 1/3 of the garlic. Add about 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1tsp tandoori masala(optional),  salt and pepper and then mix all ingredients together. Put in oven and bake for 25-30 min.

Repeat the same procedure with the peppers, mushrooms, the rest of the onion, 1/3 of the garlic, 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1 tsp (tandoori masala(optional), salt and pepper. Toss together and bake in oven for 20 min. Add the broccoli to the mixture at the 20 min mark and then bake for another 5-8 min.  (Each oven is different, please check on vegetables to make sure they do not burn but have a slight dark grill color).

Let the vegetables cool.  ( I make this a day or two ahead)

Cottage cheese filling:

Cook spinach, cool and then squeeze all the water out.  Empty cottage cheese into a bowl.
Add the cooled spinach, chopped basil leaves ( 1/3 cup chopped but is up to you how much you like the flavor of basil), salt, pepper,  2/3 cup of  parmesan cheese and the remaining garlic.
Mix together.

Some of the ingredients used in the lasagna


Butternut squash and onion diced and tossed in oilve oil, salt and tandoori masala ready for oven

             Spinach, cottage cheese, parmesan, salt, pepper and basil leaves       


              Roasted veggies baked in the oven.



Layering the Lasagna

In a lasagna pan (foil or ceramic) cover bottom of pan with tomato sauce.
Put lasagna noodles over sauce.  3-4 Depending on your pan and type of Lasagna noodles.
Cover  noodles with more tomato sauce and then spread some of the cottage cheese filling.
Layer 1/3 of the BN squash over the cottage cheese filling and then cover with  Lasagna Noodles.
Repeat again with the Tomato sauce and  cottage cheese filling and this time cover with the roasted vegetables.  Continue layering the lasagna alternating between the BN squash and the roasted veggies. If you run low on both vegetables I layer both to together on the last layer.  Cover with last set of noodles cover with tomato sauce and then cover with Mozzerella cheese and remaining parmesan cheese.  I also sprinkle some crushed red pepper.  Cover with foil and bake in preheated  oven at 375ºF. Please read baking time on package depending on type of noodle used.  Bake uncoverd for 5-10 min.

                Tomato sauce on bottom of pan layered with lasagna noodle and more sauce


                Roasted Butternut squash cooled and ready for the lasagna   

                
                    Butternut squash layered on top of spinach cottage cheese mixture.



Lasagna ready for the oven

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