Perhaps this veggie lasagna is not the lightest. No, in fact, it is rich and decadent, and oh so warming to the soul! It is not for the faint of heart. To me, this is like a hybrid between luscious Mac and cheese and lasagna, with a sprinkling of flavorful, garlicky veggies!

Though I developed the recipe over the summer using zucchini, heirloom tomatoes, and locally grown garlic, it would make for a mighty fine entree for a special occasion more suited for the holidays.

That said, I highly encourage mixing and matching and playing around with the seasonal produce! As long as you have the velvety béchamel sauce and the freshly-cracked black peppercorn ricotta, you will have little room to go wrong here!

The trickiest part about this recipe is the béchamel sauce. Though there is nothing to fear! By simply keeping an eye on it during the cooking process and preventing the cream from burning you will be set on the right path! It is one of few times I do not suggest multitasking while cooking!

All you need to do is bring the cream up to temperature to help cook out the flour-y taste and to allow the ingredients to combine to thicken enough to become the perfect vessel for the grated Parmigiano-Regianno to melt into. After that you give a stir, allow to blend, give another whisk and get to layering! Everything else is much much simpler I promise!

---

LUSCIOUS WHITE VEGGIE LASAGNA

PREP TIME: 30 minutes
COOK TIME: 60-90 minutes
SERVES: 9

Black Peppered Ricotta:

• 3 eggs
• 2 tbs black pepper
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 lbs whole milk ricotta

Sautéed Veggies:

• 1 tbs salted butter
• 2 cups Finely diced Vidal I onions
• 2 cups finely diced zucchini
• 1 cup finely diced tomato
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach
• 3 tbs garlic cloves, minced (more or less to preference, I personally do not skimp out here haha!)

Béchamel Sauce:

• 1/4 cup salted butter
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 32 oz (4 cups) room temperature heavy cream (or whole milk)
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Regianno (I like to cube then toss into a food processor for the sake of time)

Assembling the Veggie Lasagna:

• 1 lbs Cooked Lasagna sheets
• Black Peppered Ricotta
• Sautéed Veggies
• Béchamel Sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large skillet, sauté the onions with 1 tbs salted butter over medium heat until softened (about 10-12 minutes.) Next, add the baby spinach and garlic. Cook until fragrant (a couple minutes). Add remaining chopped veggies, stir and cook for 3 more minutes, remove from heat, then drain excess juices.
2. In the meantime, cook the lasagna sheets according to package instructions.
3. In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly combine the ricotta ingredients then set aside while preparing the béchamel sauce.
4. To make the béchamel sauce melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat then stir in 1/4 cup of all purpose flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to bubble (about 2 minutes). Avoid letting it burn by pouring in the cream. Continue to stir. The sauce will thicken while it cooks. Allow it to gently boil then add the sea salt and grated nutmeg. Lower the heat, and stir in the grated cheese.  Cook and whisk for an additional 2-3 minutes or until the cheese melts thoroughly. When ready, remove from the heat and gather the remaining lasagna ingredients.
5. To assemble, layer 1 cup of béchamel sauce on the bottom of a 13″ x 10″ x 2″ casserole dish. Next, layer the lasagna noodles and top with 1 cup of the ricotta mixture. Add 1 cup of the veggie mixture then repeat. For the last two layers make sure it is the pasta and finish with the béchamel sauce.
6. Afterwards, place on dish onto a larger baking sheet (in case it bubbles over), then cover with foil and transfer to the oven to bake for 45-60 minutes.
7. When ready, remove foil and bake for an additional 15-20 or until golden browned.
8. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing in.
9. Alas, share and enjoy!

NOTES:

My favorite dish to bake this in is my enameled Dansk Kobenstyle Baker Pan. Though, any casserole dish similar in size will do! I simply have a thing for oven to table tools haha!

For another recipe that utilizes oven-to-table bakeware check out my (vegan) recipe: Mild, Smoky Enchilada Bake.

For more delicious recipes to create or pair alongside, visit the Kitchen Journal.