Vegetarian Lasagna Recipe:
the comfort food you won't
feel bad about eating

This vegetarian lasagna recipe is truly vegetarian and not just meat-less. By that I mean it is comprised of vegetables and isn’t your average carb overload.

Lasagna is a wonderful casserole that is rich, flavorful and homey. Fortunately this veggie packed recipe doesn’t make you go into a food-coma afterwards. With all the fiber from zucchini instead of processed noodles, it will keep you full too. In other words it’s healthy but not rabbit food.

Most importantly it’s as simple as layering ingredients in a pan, throwing it in the oven (well, not throwing...that would be very dangerous), and having a delicious result waiting for you 45-50 minutes later.

Vegetarian Lasagna Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 x 24 oz. jars of tomato sauce (you might not use all of both jars but I like to use more than 1...it all depends on how saucey you like it)
  • 3 zucchinis cut into long slices
  • 1 large tomato sliced
  • 2 cups of kale or chard, chopped (remove stem if using kale)
  • 1 egg
  • handful of fresh basil
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3-4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • Spices: oregano, rosemary and thyme

Directions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350°
  2. In food processor combine: kale, olive oil, egg, balsamic vinegar, garlic cloves and basil then blend. This will make a chunky kale pesto mixture which we will be one of the layers in the lasagna.
  3. In 13”x9” casserole dish, pour enough tomato sauce to cover the bottom (about 6 oz)
  4. Layer the thin slices from 1 zucchini on top of the sauce. Spread all of the kale pesto over the zucchini evenly (it should be just enough to make one layer). Sprinkle a large handful (about 1 cup) of cheese over the kale pesto. Continue creating layers of sauce, zucchini, cheese. Lightly sprinkle oregano, rosemary and thyme, alternating on top of every other layer. Top with the rest of the cheese and then add tomato slices.
  5. Bake in oven for 45-50 minutes, it might take a few more minutes but remove when the cheese is starting to brown and the sauce is bubbly. Let sit to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Because this recipe does not use noodles the finished product might appear slightly runny when you first take it out of the oven. Rest assured this goes away if you let it sit and firm up for a bit. Though, if you’re like my family, the vegetarian lasagna will smell so good when it’s baking that you won’t be able to wait very long.

Using the kale pesto for one of the layers in this vegetarian lasagna recipe occurred to me when we had an overabundance of kale in our refrigerator and shall we say a less-than-enthusiastic crowd for consuming all that kale. When combined with the aromatic spices like basil and garlic the kale softens in flavor quite a bit. The balsamic vinegar sweetens when its temperature is risen and all together it adds another level of complexity to the dish.

Sometimes when I eat Italian food it can seem a little one dimensional. To me the freshness of the vegetables, the sweetness of the spices and the richness of the cheese all meld together to make a great and healthy vegetarian lasagna. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family did! My dad, infamous for not liking kale too much, raved after every bite he took. (You know, you don’t always have to tell your critics what your secret ingredients are!)

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