Vegetable Lasagna

Ingredients

• 1 (8-ounce) package whole wheat lasagna noodles
• 3 cups fresh spinach
• 8 ounces button mushrooms
• 1 large zucchini
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 (6-ounce) block mozzarella cheese
• ½ teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes, no salt added
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
• Non-stick cooking spray

Materials

• 2 medium bowls
• 9-by-13-inch baking dish
• Box grater
• Can opener
• Colander
• Cutting board
• Fork
• Large pot
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Sharp knife

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Cook lasagna noodles following package directions. In a colander, drain and run under cold water until cool to the touch. Complete steps 3–9 while noodles cook.
3. Rinse spinach, mushrooms, and zucchini. Peel garlic.
4. Chop spinach. Thinly slice mushrooms. Dice zucchini into ½-inch pieces. Mince garlic.
5. Grate mozzarella cheese. Set aside ¼ cup grated cheese for topping lasagna.
6. In a medium bowl, add spinach, mushrooms, and zucchini. Stir in ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Set over a colander to drain. When completely drained, pat veggies dry with paper towels.
7. Stir garlic, basil, oregano, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and black pepper into canned tomatoes to make a sauce. Do this directly in the can.
8. In a medium bowl, crack egg and beat with a fork. Add cottage cheese and grated mozzarella. Mix.
9. Lightly coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Spread ½ cup tomato sauce on bottom of dish.
10. Layer 3 noodles over sauce. Then, layer 1 cup cheese mixture, 1½ cups veggies, and ⅔ cup tomato sauce. Repeat layers 2 more times, ending with 3 noodles. Cover with remaining tomato sauce. Sprinkle reserved ¼ cup grated mozzarella over top of lasagna.
11. Bake until cheese is melted and lightly browned on top and lasagna is bubbly, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven. Let cool 10 minutes before cutting.

Chef’s Notes

• If using no-boil lasagna noodles, skip step 2.
• To cut costs, use thawed frozen spinach instead of fresh spinach. Be sure to squeeze all excess water from spinach before using.
• Add any leftover cooked veggies to lasagna.
• Use 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese in place of cottage cheese, if you like.
• Cut leftovers into single-size portions. Freeze up to 3 months in an airtight container.
• Instead of using canned tomato sauce, make your own.