Vegetable Lasagna
CATEGORIES
INGREDIENTS
- Servings: 6-8
- 1 lb. carrots, washed, and cut into 1/4-inch disks
- 6 Tbsp. butter, plus additional butter for greasing pan
- 6 large garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half
- Salt
- 1 lb. zucchini, soaked, washed and trimmed into 1/4-inch disks
- 1 lb. broccoli
- Lasagna noodles
- For the béchamel sauce:
- 3 cups milk
- 5 Tbsp. butter
- 4-1/2 Tbsp. flour
- Pinch of salt
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- 1/8 tsp. grated nutmeg
- 1-3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 12x9” Lasagna pan or equivalent
DIRECTIONS
- Choose a skillet that can subsequently accommodate the carrots loosely.
- Put in 1-1/2 Tbsp. of butter, 2 of the garlic cloves, and turn on the heat to medium.
- When the garlic becomes colored a light brown, remove it from the pan.
- Add the carrots and 3 Tbsp. of water.
- Cook the carrots, stirring from time to time, until they are tender, but firm, somewhat shrunken, and a light brown in color.
- Do not let them break up.
- When done, add salt and transfer to a small mixing bowl.
- In a clean skillet large enough to accommodate the zucchini loosely, put in 1-1/2 Tbsp. of the butter and 2 more garlic cloves.
- Turn on the heat to medium.
- When the garlic becomes colored a light brown, remove it from the pan.
- Add the sliced zucchini and cook them as you did the carrots.
- When they have shrunk, becoming colored a light brown, and are tender but firm, add salt, stir, and then transfer them from the pan to a small mixing bowl.
- Wash the broccoli in cold water, and then peel away the hard green skin from the stems.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil, add salt, and then drop in the broccoli.
- Cook until nearly tender, but still very firm.
- Drain; as soon as it is cool enough to handle, cut it into 1/2-inch pieces.
- Put 2 Tbsp. of the butter and the remaining 2 garlic cloves in a clean skillet and turn on the heat to medium.
- When the garlic becomes colored and light brown, remove it.
- Put in the broccoli pieces and cook, turning them frequently, until they are tender, but not mushy.
- Transfer them from the pan into a third mixing bowl.
- Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions.
- Make the béchamel sauce by melting the butter in a heavy 1-qt. saucepan over low heat.
- Add the flour and pinch of salt to melted butter.
- Over low heat, stir together until smooth.
- Gradually stir in milk; cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth.
- When done, mix into it the grated nutmeg and 1 cups of the Parmesan cheese.
- Set aside 1/2 cup of the béchamel and divide the rest into 3 equal parts.
- Into each of the 3 bowls containing the cooked vegetables mix 1 of the 3 portions of béchamel.
- Taste and correct for salt.
- Smear the bottom of a 12x9-inch lasagna pan generously with butter.
- Spread 1 Tbsp. of béchamel over the buttered bottom.
- Line the bottom with a layer of pasta strips fitting them edge to edge, but making sure they do not overlap.
- Preheat the oven to 400º F.
- Spread half of the zucchini and béchamel mixture over the pasta.
- It doesn’t matter if there isn’t enough to cover the pasta completely, as long as long as any gaps in the zucchini are filmed lightly with béchamel.
- Sprinkle some grated Parmesan evenly over this layer.
- Cover the zucchini with another layer of pasta—always edge to edge and without overlaps.
- Spread half the carrot and béchamel mixture over the pasta in the same manner you spread the zucchini, topping the layer with a sprinkling of grated cheese, and covering it with another layers of pasta.
- Spread half the broccoli and béchamel mixture over this.
- Top again with pasta.
- Repeat the above operations until you have used up all the vegetables.
- Top with a layer of pasta.
- Spread the remaining béchamel over the pasta, sprinkle the rest of the grated cheese over it, and dot with the remaining tablespoon of butter.
- Place the pan in the uppermost level of the preheated oven. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until a light golden crust forms on top.
- Allow to settle for at least 10 minutes before serving.
- Can be assembled ahead a day before it is to be baked.
- Delicious!