Our Special Vegetarian Lasagne Recipes

Steps:

• For the sauce: Put the olive oil and garlic in a medium pot over low heat. Cook the garlic, stirring occasionally at first and more often as it colors, until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Raise the heat to medium-low, add the onions and a large pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, bay leaves, basil sprig, thyme and 1 teaspoon salt, raise the heat to medium and bring the sauce to a lively simmer. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until quite thick (if you draw a spoon through the sauce, you'll see the bottom of the pot for a few seconds before the sauce fills back in), about 30 minutes. As the sauce thickens, turn the heat down a bit so the bottom doesn't scorch. Stir in the chopped basil. Let cool to room temperature before assembling the lasagna. (Makes 1 quart.)
• To assemble: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Squeeze the spinach in your hands to remove as much liquid as possible. Put it in a large bowl, and stir in the ricotta, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, the egg, 1 teaspoon salt and the nutmeg.
• Spread 3/4 cup of the tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Lay 3 lasagna noodles across the sauce (they won't touch). Spread 3/4 cup tomato sauce on top. Dollop 1/3 of the ricotta mixture (about 1 cup) across the sauce, and use the back of a spoon to spread it (it will smush into the tomato sauce, which is fine). Scatter 1 cup of the mozzarella on top.
• Repeat the layering 2 more times. Top with the last 3 noodles, spread the last 3/4 cup tomato sauce over them and scatter the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan over the top. Spray a large piece of foil with cooking spray, and cover the baking dish.
• Bake until the noodles are soft and the cheese has melted, about 40 minutes. Remove the foil, and continue to bake until the cheese is bubbling and the lasagna is slightly browned around the edges, about 15 minutes more. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Cook lasagne noodles in boiling salted water until"al dente", still firm to the bite.
• Drain and keep them in cold water until ready to use.
• Saute ground beef, onion, and garlic in olive oil until meat is no longer pink.
• Add remaining ingredients and cook at a fast simmer until sauce is quite thick (about 30 to 40 minutes).
• Preheat oven to 400*F.
• For Bechamel, melt butter, add flour and cook, stirring with a whisk, for one minute.
• Slowly add milk and chicken broth and bring to a boil, still using the whisk.
• Taste and add chicken bouillon cube if needed.
• Add salt.
• For Ricotta filling, beat egg in a bowl and add remaining ingredients, stirring well with a fork.
• IN the following order, layer in a lightly greased 13 X 9 inch baking dish; a little meat sauce, half of the noodles, half of the remaining met sauce, 1/2 cup BEchamel, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, half of the mozzarella, teleme, and ricotta filling; the remaining noodles and meat sauce, 1/2 cup Bechamel, 1/2 cup Parmesan, the remaining Mozzarella, teleme, Ricotta filling, the last of the Bechamel and Parmesan cheeses.
• Dot with butter.
• At this point the dish may be covered and refrigerated.
• Bring to room temperature.
• Bake at 400*F, uncovered, for 30 minutes, until bubbly.
• The dish freezes well.