12-16 sheets oven-ready lasagna noodles, preferably whole-wheat (this makes 4 layers, with the 4th being the top.)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
16 oz. mushrooms, sliced
2 medium zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thick (you can mix this with yellow squash, too)
1/2 cup white wine
8 oz. baby spinach, washed
2 ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
1 Tbsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
1 container (15 oz.) ricotta cheese (or well-drained cottage cheese)
2 cups shredded mozzarella (low fat if you wish)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese plus 1/4 extra Parmesan cheese for assembly
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 large 24 oz. jar good quality tomato sauce
Directions:
Using a small, fine sieve, drain the cottage cheese if using, to get a lot of the water out. If your ricotta looks watery, do the same. Let it drain for 20 minutes, using a spoon to jostle it around every so often to get more water out.
In a large saute pan, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add onion and garlic until onions are translucent. Add the mushrooms, cook for a few minutes, or until the mushrooms release their juices. Add zucchini and squash, and cook for 4 minutes, stirring often. Add the white wine and scrape the bits up from the bottom of the pan as you reduce down the wine. Add the spinach and the tomatoes, and cook until the spinach begins to wilt, folding the spinach into the rest of the vegetables. Stir in the basil, parsley, 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Take off the heat and set aside.
Now back to your ricotta or cottage cheese-add the cottage cheese to a bowl and add the nutmeg, Parmesan cheese, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Mix until combined.
Now time to assemble. (If you are baking the same night-preheat the oven to 425˚ while assembling.) In a 13 x 9 baking dish, layer 1 cup sauce along the bottom of the pan. Lay the noodles, 4 noodles side by side lengthwise, overlapping a little. Next layer the cottage/ricotta cheese in an even layer on the noodles. Then add half the vegetables evenly over the cheese. Layer 3/4 cup of mozzarella cheese evenly over the vegetables, and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. Layer 4 noodles again on top of the vegetables, slightly overlapping. Add another cup of sauce over the noodles, covering them generously. Then repeat with the cheese mixture, vegetables, mozzarella, Parmesan, noodles, more sauce. When you get to that last layer of noodles, pour the rest of the sauce over the whole lasagna. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella, and if you have some extra Parmesan cheese, sprinkle that on top. Cover with tin foil. Store in the fridge until ready to bake. Bake at 425˚ for 35-40 minutes with the tin foil on. Uncover the foil, and cook for 5-10 more minutes until hot, bubbly and golden. Let sit for 15-20 minutes to set up, before cutting or else it won’t cut well. Serve warm.
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