Very Veggie Lasagna by Joyce Eaglin Doerr

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Makes one 9 X 13 inch lasagna...unless you go overboard with the ingredients...which I invariably do. Keep a bread pan around in case you do. This freezes and keeps very well. Serves 8 to 12...unless Yvonne is serving and then it serves about 6...maybe 8.

Vegetable filling:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cups thinly sliced zucchini
3 cups diced eggplant
2 cups chopped wild mushrooms (shitake, crimini or portobello...they work together
well)
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup chopped onions
1 ten ounce package of frozen spinach (do NOT drain excess water)
1/ 2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Ricotta Filling:

2 eggs beaten
3 or 4 cups ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
8 to 10 cranks from your pepper mill (fresh ground pepper)

Topping:

1 1/ 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

The karma that pulls it all together:

1 batch home made pasta sauce (5 or 6 cups)...I use the recipe from Mollie Katzen's
"Moosewood Cookbook." You're on your own here. Of course you can always take
easy way out and use a jar of sauce. If you must...try to use a good organic brand.

And of course, Lasagna noodles

1). In a small stock pot heat the olive oil. Add the Zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms, and
onions. Heat on high until everything begins to "sizzle". Cover and lower heat to
medium. For the next ten minutes "sweat"the vegetables occasionally shaking the pot.
After the vegetables are soft remove from heat.

2). In a large bowl beat the eggs, stir in the ricotta, shredded carrots, spinach, mozzarella,
and pepper until smooth.

3). Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

4). Spread a thin layer of red sauce on the bottom of the lasagna dish. Place noodles
over the sauce. Spread 1/ 2 the ricotta filling over the noodles followed by 1/ 2 the
vegetable filling.(do NOT drain off excess water!) Spread another layer of red sauce
and repeat until you run out of ingredients...or room (that's why you pulled out the
bread pan remember?)

5). Top the lasagna with a layer of red sauce, and the remaining shredded mozzarella
and Parmesan cheese.

6). Let your creation sit for 15 minutes or so. You might have noticed that the noodles
were NOT cook ahead of time. Between the marinara, excess water from the frozen
spinach and the moisture from sweating the veggies you don't need to cook the
noodles ahead of time. I AM NOT KIDDING ABOUT THIS!!! This works...really.

7). Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes. If you
made too much and have an extra bread pan lasagna..like I usually do...simply remove
it after the first 40 minutes of baking, let cool and pop it in your freezer. Some night
when you're in the mood for lasagna but don't feel like making it, thaw it out and bake it
for half an hour or so. It's delicious!!! And a bread pan lasagna will easily serve 4. Unless
Yvonne is serving and then it will feed 2!!! Bon appetit!!

Note...you can substitute any vegetables you like...in varying amounts I've used broccoli
in the place of eggplant and it worked wonderfully. Use your imagination.