Garden Lasagne

Reprinted with permission by Ciao Italia.

This recipe is from Ciao Italia, the longest-running cooking program on television and a member of the PBS family for twenty-five years.  It's because of recipes like this that host Mary Ann Esposito is such a favorite among anyone who loves to cook Italian.

Just in time for summer vegetables, whether you're growing your own or buy them at your farmer's market, this recipe uses a mixture of vegetables to build layers of flavor with favorite Italian cheeses and thin sheets of no-boil lasagne noodles.  The result is a garden-fresh taste.

Serves 8

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large white onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced

2 medium zucchini, diced

1 medium eggplant, peeled and diced

1/4 cup minced fresh basil

1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley

2 medium potatoes, cooked, peeled, and diced

1 pound ripe tomatoes, diced

Fine sea salt to taste

Eight 7 by 6 1/2-inch no-boil lasagne noodles

1 cup diced Italian Fontina cheese

1 cup diced provolone cheese

1 cup diced mozzarella cheese

2 cups tomato sauce

1. In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion begins to soften. Add the pepper, zucchini and eggplant and cook until the vegetables soften. Stir in the basil and parsley. Add the potatoes and tomatoes, stir well, and season with salt.
2. Cover the pan and simmer until the vegetables are very soft, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat.


3. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
4. Lightly grease a 14 by 8 1/2 by 2-inch baking pan with olive oil. 


5. Place 2 lasagne sheets in the pan, slightly overlapping them. Spoon about 2 cups of the vegetable mixture over the noodles. Scatter the Fontina cheese over the vegetables. Cover the cheese with 2 more lasagne noodles. Spread another 2 cups of the vegetable mixture on top. Scatter the provolone cheese over the top and cover with two more lasagne sheets. Top with the remaining vegetable mixture. Scatter the mozzarella cheese over the vegetables and top with the remaining 2 lasagna sheets.
6. Press down on the top sheets with your hands to compact the layers. Spread the tomato sauce over the top. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.
7. Allow the lasagne to cool for about 5 minutes before cutting into squares.
8. Serve immediately.

Note: Cooked lasagne can be frozen for as long as 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator and reheat in a moderate oven for 20 to 30 minutes.