Roasted Vegetable Lasagna
Serves 8
15 mins prep
60 mins cook
30 mins Resting Time
105 mins total
Roasted vegetable lasagna layers oven-caramelized vegetables, pasta and creamy cheese for a rich, satisfying baked pasta. I pack it with zucchini, eggplant, leafy greens and sweet bell peppers, along with three kinds of cheese. A tangy sweet cherry tomato sauce ties it all together.
Cherry Tomato Sauce:
Lasagna:
Heat oven to 425 ( 220C) degrees, with the rack positioned in the center.
Make the sauce:
Put 2 pounds whole cherry tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet with 2 whole garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, and 1 teaspoon salt. Roast until the tomatoes are very soft, about 20-25 minutes.
Transfer the tomatoes and all the pan juices to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. The sauce can be made up to one week ahead and stored in the refrigerator.
Roast the vegetables
Toss the eggplant, bell peppers, zucchini, and red onion on a rimmed baking sheet. Add 1 ½ teaspoons salt, black pepper and the olive oil and toss everything to coat.
Roast the vegetables alongside the tomatoes 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway through, until they're are soft and slightly browned. Remove from the oven and immediately add the spinach. Toss with tongs to mix and wilt the greens.
Assemble and bake the lasagna
Reduce the oven temperature to 400 (200C) degrees. Lightly coat an 8x8-inch baking pan with olive oil.
Combine the ricotta, ¼ cup of Parmesan and the parsley in a small bowl.
Ladle ⅓-cup tomato sauce evenly over the bottom of the pan. Arrange 3 pasta sheets, slightly overlapping, over the sauce. Spread ⅓ of the vegetables, ⅓ of the ricotta mixture, ⅓ of the grated fontina and ⅓ cup sauce over the noodles. Repeat twice more, gently pressing the noodles down each time. Make the final top layer with all the remaining sauce and ½ cup of the Parmesan cheese.
Cover the pan with foil and place on a baking sheet to avoid spills in the oven. Bake 30 minutes. Take a peek under the foil — if the sauce is bubbling, the cheese melted and the noodles are tender, it's done. If not, cover and bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and cool 30-60 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Slice into pieces and serve.