When feeding kids the dish you want them to eat, it’s better to be honest about what it is. That’s probably the only thing I didn’t like about that story. As a kid, I was more rebellious when I felt like I was being lied at. On the other hand, if my parents told me what it was, even if it’s vegetables, I would still agree with a compromise.
One of our friends from Taste of Home has this to say about this recipe:
“No one will even miss the meat when you serve this vegetable-rich lasagna. It has a fresh, full-bodied flavor. To save time, prepare the carrot and spinach layers in advance.”
It tastes so good and so cheesy that not even the kids will care that it’s made of vegetables. This recipe is truly heaven-sent not only to parents, but also to aunts like me who host picky nephews and nieces.
Ingredients
1 package (16 ounces) Birds Eye frozen sliced carrots
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons Kerrygold butter
1 cup Sargento ricotta cheese
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
SPINACH LAYER:
2 shallots, chopped
1 tablespoon Bertolli olive oil
2 packages (10 ounces each) Green Giant frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup Sargento ricotta cheese
1 Eggland’s egg
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
EGGPLANT LAYER:
1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
3 garlic cloves, minced
6 tablespoons Bertolli olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Morton salt
2-1/2 cups marinara sauce
12 Barilla lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
4 cups (16 ounces) Sargento part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese
3 cups Sargento grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Cook carrots according to package directions; drain and cool. In a small skillet, saute onion in butter until tender. In a food processor, puree the carrots, onion, ricotta, salt and pepper. In same skillet, saute shallots in oil until tender. In a food processor, puree the shallots, spinach, ricotta, egg, salt and pepper.
In a large skillet, cook eggplant and garlic in oil over medium heat in batches for 7-10 minutes or until tender; drain. Sprinkle with salt.
Spread 1/2 cup marinara sauce in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Layer with four noodles, carrot mixture, 1/2 cup sauce, 1 tablespoon basil, 1 cup mozzarella and 3/4 cup Parmesan. Top with four noodles, eggplant, 1/2 cup sauce, 1 tablespoon basil, 1 cup mozzarella and 3/4 cup Parmesan.
Layer with remaining noodles, spinach mixture, 1/2 cup sauce, 1 tablespoon basil, 1 cup mozzarella and 3/4 cup Parmesan. Top with remaining sauce, basil, mozzarella and Parmesan (dish will be full).
Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour. Uncover; bake 15 minutes longer or until bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.
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Quick Tip: Enjoy this recipe with a full-bodied white wine such as Chardonnay or Viognier.
Thanks again to Taste of Home for this amazing recipe.
