Lasagna Al Forno With Cheese And Vegetables

Lasagna Al Forno With Cheese And Vegetables is silly simple to make and uses a homemade sauce that's bursting with flavor, easy no-boil noodles, and of course tons of healthy vegetables! Make it for dinner tonight or freeze it for an easy weeknight meal!

January is such a conflicting time in the food world for me. I feel, in equal measure, the need to eat healthier, but also crave the comfort (aka - unhealthy!) food that still accompanies these long cold winter months. And there are so many delicious comforting meals! Slow cooker chicken pasta, this easy chickpea stew, gnocchi with Tuscan chicken meatballs - all YUM!) What's a girl to do? Veggie Lasagna Al Forno to the rescue! (What's Al Forno, you ask? It's simply an Italian term that means "baked in an oven". Lasagna Al Forno is a fancy way of saying baked lasagna.)

How To Make Lasagna Al Forno With Cheese And Veggies

This Lasagna Al Forno recipe is the best of both worlds. It combines the ultra decadence of lasagna but lightens it up by making it meatless and by using cottage cheese instead of ricotta as its cheese base. 

1. Start by roasting your vegetables. I used eggplant and zucchini in this recipe, but mushrooms are also great.
2. While your veggies are roasting, prepare your sauce by sauteing some garlic and onion for a few minutes, then adding crushed tomatoes and a slew of Italian spices to the pot. Simmer this on low heat for about 20 minutes, then toss in your roasted veggies. Cook the sauce for an additional 5 minutes to meld all the flavors together then remove from heat.
3. Make your cheese mix. (AKA - my favorite part!) This cheese mix uses cottage cheese and half-n-half to cut down on the calories and combines them with parmesan and mozzarella an egg and more spices.
4. All together now! Assemble your lasagna by layering the sauce, then noodles, and finally the cheese in your casserole dish. Repeat this process once more, sprinkle with basil, then toss the whole thing in the oven.
5. Suffer an excruciatingly long hour as your lasagna bakes and your house begins to fill with the sweet smell of Italian deliciousness.

Tricks To Avoid Watery Vegetable Lasagna

One thing that has always plagued me in the past with vegetable lasagna is how to make it so it's not so watery.  Too much water can ruin a pasta dish and vegetables are notorious for creating this problem in lasagna. Here are some handy dandy tips to avoid the dreaded watery lasagna.

1. Use no-boil noodles. I love no-boil noodles for veggie lasagna. They're easier and cut out an extra step. And, they go in dry and help to soak up any of the extra liquid that may come from the veggies you're using. Easy and a better end result are always an A+++ in my book.
2. Use roasted eggplant.  Using eggplant in your recipe is great because the vegetable acts much like a sponge, which, like the no-boil noodles, can soak up some of that extra moisture that may be lurking around. And roasting them adds tons of flavor (while also getting some of that excess moisture out.)
3. Cook down most of your vegetables before adding them to the lasagna.  When you add your vegetables between your noodle layers, you're essentially creating a little steam pocket causing them to release even more water. These then get trapped between your noodles, making the whole lasagna watery. Cooking them down (sautéing mushrooms and spinach, roasting eggplant as I mentioned above, etc.) can remove much of this water before you layer your lasagna, making the end result less watery.

Note: try to use as little oil as possible when roasting or sautéing your vegetables. This is the key is to make them less watery, but you don't want to make an oily mess in the process.  Adding a tiny bit of salt to them can also pull out some of the additional moisture.

Yes - You Can Freeze This Veggie Lasagna Al Forno!

A great thing about this recipe (other than it's healthier than some other lasagnas and tastes delicious) is that it also freezes well. You can make the whole thing and then pop it in the freezer for when you need it later.

We're a family of four so we usually eat half the pan on the first night that I make it. Then we freeze the other half for another time, which makes for a GREAT timesaver on those weeknights when we're all running around like crazy busy people.

A quick tip for freezing lasagna: wait until it's set in the refrigerator for a night. This allows it time to firm up a bit and makes it so much easier to handle when sectioning it off or placing it in freezer-ready containers.  Then, once you're ready to eat it, just thaw it out, place it in a pan, and reheat it in the oven. (Reheat the lasagna at 385%, covered for about 30-40 minutes or until it's heated through.)

So there you have it. Healthy and comforting, this lasagna is a winner in our house. I hope it is in yours too.

If you make this Lasagna Al Forno With Cheese And Vegetables, I'd love to hear what you think! Tag me on Instagram and post your thoughts in the comments below! 

More Delicious Pasta Dishes!

• Weeknight Tuscan White Bean Pasta
• Easy Meatball Recipe
• Cheesy Pasta
• 5-Minute Pesto Sauce
• Lazy Lasagna With Cheese Ravioli
• Crockpot Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta

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