Adventures in the Kitchen: Week 3 - Veggie Lasagna

I was in the mood for some comfort food......so I thought let's make pasta!!! But keeping health in mind I wanted to avoid the fatty cheese/sauces and get my vegetable intake in, so I went on the hunt for a scrumptious veggie lasagna.....and I found it!! This one made enough for 3 meals for a family of 4, so put the work in now, and freeze 2 extra meals for those nights you don't feel like cooking.
So here it is folks, your meal idea for tonight:

Adventures in the Kitchen: Week 3

Less-On-Ya Lasagna
Prep: 25 min    Serves: 10-12  

Not my picture (forgot to take one again!)
but isn't your mouth watering right now? :)

3 Cups sliced mushrooms
2 Medium Zucchini's unpeeled and chopped
1 Yellow Pepper, chopped
1 Red Pepper, chopped
1 Red onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon Olive oil
1 Teaspoon balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 Teaspoon each dried rosemary; dried oregano
1 Cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 Cup low-fat (1%) Cottage cheese
1/3 Cup Parsley
1/4 Cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1 egg white
12 Lasagna noodles*
3 Cups Spaghetti Sauce
1 1/2 Cups part-skim Mozzarella Cheese shredded

1. Mix mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers, onion, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, rosemary and oregano together, place in roasting pan uncovered at 400 for 25 min, stirring at halfway point.

2. While veggies are roasting, a) cook pasta,  b) prepare cheese mixture: Combine 1/4 Cup parsley, Parmesan Cheese, Egg white, Ricotta Cheese, Cottage Cheese  and mix well, refrigerate until ready to use.

3. Assemble Lasagna: 9 x 13 inch baking dish (spray with non stick spray), spread 1/4 of the spaghetti sauce over bottom of pan. Arrange 4 lasagna noodles over sauce. Spread 1/2 cheese filling over noodles, followed by 1/3 roasted veggies. Sprinkle 1/3 Mozzarella cheese over top. Repeat layering. Layer final 4 noodles over mozzarella, followed by remaining spaghetti sauce. Top sauce with remaining roasted veggies.

4. Cover with foil and bake @ 375 for 35 minutes.
* (If using oven ready noodles, change baking time to 1 hour)

5. Remove Lasagna from oven, sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and parsley, return to oven uncovered, for 5 minutes.

6. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.  (Important to follow this last step as it helps the lasagna stick together and absorb juices)

So, let's just say this was gobbled up in no time! Healthy veggies, comforting pasta/sauce combination and a scrumptious mix of low-fat cheeses are what made this meal a new favorite! The major bonus was that I was able to freeze 2 other dinners from this recipe......which made up for the work that I put into making this. All in all, a great dish but it takes some prep work to put it all together. 

~ Recipe taken from "Crazy plates" Cookbook by Janet & Greta Podleski ~