vegetarian lasagna w/o noodles

5 Pinches
Washington, DC
Updated on Jun 17, 2015

My husband, children and family wanted a lasagna without meat. My Aunt Geneva taught me how to make the best lasagna that always had meat, so I took her recipe and created a lasagna without the meat or the lasagna noodles. Made it once for my husband and children and they loved it. My husband's co-workers place orders with me frequently. This is the recipe that's a must at every family gathering. They don't even miss the meat.

prep time 45 Min
cook time 1 Hr
method Bake
yield Yield: 8-10 servings

Ingredients

  • - • 2 - 15 oz. jars of your favorite pasta sauce
  • - • 1 large egg plant, ends removed, peeled and sliced lengthwise
  • - • 1 cup diced red peppers
  • - • 1 cup julienned vidalia onions
  • - • 15 oz. mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
  • - • 3 zucchinis, sliced
  • - • 1- 10 oz. bag of fresh spinach
  • - • 1- 8oz. container ricotta cheese
  • - • 8 oz. shredded parmesan cheese
  • - • 30 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
  • - • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • - • ¼ cup fresh julienned basil leaves
  • - • 2 tbs. chopped fresh oregano
  • - • salt to taste
  • - • pepper to taste
  • - • 3 eggs beaten
  • - • 3 cups italian bread crumbs
  • - • extra virgin olive oil for sautéing vegetables
  • - • vegetable oil for frying
  • - • ½ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • - • 1/8 cup whole milk

How To Make vegetarian lasagna w/o noodles

  • Step 1
    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Step 2
    Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the sliced zucchini and garlic and season with a little salt and pepper. Cook until tender, but still a little firm. Place zucchini in a colander and strain off all liquid. Set aside
  • Step 3
    Add more olive oil to skillet and sauté sliced mushrooms until they are tender. Strain excess liquid off mushrooms. Set aside
  • Step 4
    Put pasta sauce and onions in a large stock pot and simmer slowly until onions are tender. Add basil and oregano to the sauce.
  • Step 5
    Peel and slice the egg plant and put in lemon juice to stop the browning process.
  • Step 6
    Beat eggs and milk in a bowl and add a little salt and pepper. Put bread crumbs in another container.
  • Step 7
    Preheat vegetable oil in a large skillet.
  • Step 8
    Dip the sliced egg plant pieces in the egg batter and then into the bread crumbs coating both sides completely.
  • Step 9
    Fry the egg plant pieces in the skillet of vegetable oil until they are golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
  • Step 10
    Mix the parmesan and mozzarella cheese together in a bowl.
  • Step 11
    Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with cooking spray and pour in about a 1/4 cup of spaghetti sauce to cover the bottom. Lay fried egg plant on top of the sauce, add teaspoon full drops of ricotta cheese on top, add a layer of the parmesan and mozzarella cheese mixture, add a layer of mushrooms and red peppers, add more ricotta cheese and more sauce, add a layer of spinach, more parmesan and mozzarella cheese mixture, add a layer of zucchini, more ricotta cheese, sauce and end with a nice layer of mozzarella and parmesan cheese mixture. Be sure to cover all the sauce so that it won’t spill out of the pan.
  • Step 12
    Place the pan on a sheet pan to catch any spills. Cover very loosely (not to touch the cheese) with tin foil and bake for 50 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until cheese is light golden brown and bubbles a little.
  • Step 13
    After baking, let lasagna cool for ½ hour before slicing it.

Discover More

Culture: Italian
Ingredient: Vegetable
Method: Bake
Category: Casseroles

Comment & Reviews

ADVERTISEMENT
Just A Pinch Sweepstakes