American Style Vegetable Lasagna

Layers of tender pasta alternating with melting vegetables and a creamy bechamel. The top is gratinéed, offering a golden, bubbling cheese crust that cracks under the knife.

• Prep time: 40 min
• Cook time: 45 min
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: 661
• Protein: 28 g
• Carbs: 58 g
• Fat: 36 g

Ingredients

• 8 piece Lasagna sheets ( dry sheets )
• 0.7 piece Eggplant (aubergine) ( diced )
• 1.3 piece Zucchini ( diced )
• 0.7 piece Red bell pepper ( small pieces )
• 133.3 g Spinach ( fresh )
• 0.7 piece Onion ( sliced )
• 1.3 piece Garlic ( minced )
• 533.3 g Round tomato ( crushed canned or fresh )
• 166.7 g Buffalo milk mozzarella ("di bufala") ( shredded )
• 33.3 g Parmesan cheese ( grated )
• 33.3 g Minimum butter sweet ( for the roux )
• 33.3 g Wheat flour ( for the roux )
• 400 ml Whole milk ( for the bechamel )
• 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 0.7 tbsp Dried Herbs de Provence
• 1.3 pinch Gray sea salt
• 0.7 pinch Black pepper ground
• 166.7 g Ricotta Cheese ( drained )

Instructions

1. Vegetable preparation

   Dice the eggplant and zucchini into 1 cm cubes. Seed and chop the red pepper into small pieces. Mince the onion and finely chop the garlic.

2. Sautéing vegetables

   Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan. Sauté the onion, then add the vegetables. Cook until tender and the vegetable water has evaporated. Add the spinach at the end of cooking to wilt it.

3. Making the tomato sauce

   Pour the crushed round tomatoes over the vegetables. Add the herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper. Simmer over low heat until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.

4. Preparing the béchamel

   Melt the butter, add the flour to make a roux. Gradually pour in the whole milk while whisking. Cook until thickened to obtain a smooth, coating texture.

5. Assembling the lasagna

   Spread a thin layer of sauce at the bottom of the dish. Alternate lasagna sheets, vegetable filling, dollops of ricotta, béchamel, and mozzarella. Finish with a generous layer of béchamel, mozzarella, and parmesan.

6. Baking

   Bake at 180°C for about 30 minutes. A knife blade should slide into the pasta without resistance. The cheese should be golden brown and the edges bubbling.

Chef's tips

• Don't overcook the vegetables in the pan; they will finish softening in the tomato juice in the oven.
• Let the dish rest for 15 minutes out of the oven before slicing so the layers stabilize.

Storage

Keeps for 3 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Reheats perfectly in the oven covered with aluminum foil.