Lasagna Primavera

This is a meatless meal, which I rarely do since my husband is a fan of meat, but we have some friends expecting a baby soon who don't eat alot of meat (the wife is vegetarian). I want to bring them dinner at some point after the baby arrives, and this recipe sounded good.

Freeze-Ahead Lasagna Primavera

*1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for foil
*1/2 cup all-purpose flour
*2 garlic cloves, minced
*6 cups whole milk
*2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach,
thawed and squeezed dry
*1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas
*1/2 pound carrots (4 to 5), halved lengthwise and thinly
sliced
*coarse salt and pepper
*1 container (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta (about 2 cups)
*1 large egg
*1 package (9 ounces) no-boil lasagna noodles (12 to 16
noodles)
*1 pound part-skim mozzarella, shredded
*1 cup grated Parmesan

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium; add flour and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes (do not let flour mixture darken); whisk in milk.

Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook, whisking occasionally, until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add spinach, peas, and carrots; season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set sauce aside.

3. In the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, spread a thin layer of vegetable sauce. Layer 1/4 noodles, half the remaining vegetable sauce, another 1/4 noodles, half the ricotta mixture, half the mozzarella, and half the Parmesan; repeat.

4. Cover dish with lightly oiled aluminum foil, and place on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake 45 minutes, uncover, and bake until bubbling and browned, about 2o minutes more. Let cool 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

TO FREEZE Prepare through step 3. Cover lasagna tightly with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil; freeze up to 3 months.


TO BAKE FROM FROZEN Remove plastic wrap; cover baking dish with lightly oiled aluminum foil, and place on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 1.5 hours. Remove foil, and bake until bubbling and browned, about 3o minutes more. Let cool 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Recipe found in April 2008 edition of Everyday Food magazine.

From my experience: This was pretty yummy! I did not miss the meat, but who would when it's loaded with such enticing cheeses. The milk and flour mix took longer to thicken than the recipe recommends. Later, I made this again doubling it to also make one for a friend, and I really struggled to get this part thickened. Just work with it, and give it time. If you are still having difficulty getting the mixture to thicken, make a little more flour and water mixture in a separate bowl, then add it to the milk. Other than that, I had no trouble making this recipe. And as I previously mentioned, I have already made it again, so it's a keeper! Enjoy!