No Noodle Vegetable Lasagna

Tomato Sauce

1 onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
3 carrots, grated
1 tbsp oil
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped mushrooms
1 zucchini, chopped
1 cup brocolli, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 0z can tomato paste
1/2 cup dry, red wine
28 oz can plum tomatoes, pureed
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Cheese Layer

2 cups ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp grated parmesan
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and drained or fresh spinach, wilted, chopped and drained
Plus 1/2 cup mozzarella for topping
1 tbsp parmesan cheese for topping
salt and pepper

'Noodle' Layer
1 large spaghetti Squash
salt and pepper

First bake the spaghetti squash. Cut squash in half. Scoop seeds out of cavity.










Bake, at 350 degrees, upside down on a foil lined baking pan, put 1 cup of water in the bottom of pan. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour or until tender

Separate the 'spaghetti' of the squash with a fork. Set aside

Make the sauce. Combine chopped onion, chopped celery, chopped pepper, grated carrot, and 1 tbsp canola oil. Sauté until onions and celery are tender. Add mushrooms, zucchini, garlic and broccoli. Sauté for about 5 minutes.  Add tomato paste. Sauté five or ten minutes until colour of the tomato paste deepens. Add red wine and tomato puree.

Add herbs, pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes.

Make the cheese sauce. Combine ricotta, eggs, spinach, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese. Set aside.

Put a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of  a 9x13 baking pan. Place half of the squash on top of the tomato sauce. Put half of the tomato sauce over the top of the squash. Layer all of the cheese sauce on top of the tomato layer.

Layer the rest of the squash, then the rest of the tomato sauce. Sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1 tbsp parmesan cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Let cool for 15 minutes. There is a lot of moisture in the lasagna because there are no noodles to absorb to bulk of the water from the vegetables.  Cut a piece out of one of the corners. Tip the pan so that the moisture accumulates in the corner of the pan. Spoon moisture out of pan. Let it sit for another 15 minutes, removing moisture as it accumulates.

Cut lasagna into serving size pieces. Soooooo good! Remember to season each layer with salt and pepper. Very satisfying.

even if you think that you or your family don't like spaghetti squash, I think you ail love this.