Lasagna Primavera

This is another delicious recipe that I found at Mel's Kitchen Cafe. I first tasted Lasagna Primavera several years back and became a huge fan. It had never really appealed to me before and I never thought it even looked that appetizing but tasting it convinced me otherwise. My husband and son also loved it. The only complaint was that I should omit the carrots next time. They just still had a tiny crunch to them and didn't cook quite through. I don't think I would omit them completely because carrots sweeten things up a bit and are complimentary to the sauce. What I will do is perhaps chop them super tiny or shred them. This dish does require some prep time but it is well worth it. I would definitely recommend making it. I don't post things that I wouldn't recommend or that have turned out badly. No way!!!! I don't want to waste my time or your time writing about them! But I do have disasters....Like using stale nuts. Oh yes...not the recipes fault but mine. In fact, the cake was delicious (I will post that one) but as soon as you bit into an almond, oh what a stale taste. Lesson learned - use up nuts quickly. Don't keep them too long. And they are too expensive to waste. Anyhow, on with the recipe!

1 cup chopped carrots (shred or diced very tiny)

3 zucchini, finely chopped, 1/4 inch or less pieces

2 squash, finely chopped, 1/4 inch or less pieces

2 cups chopped broccoli

20 ounces chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained well

3 cups ricotta cheese (I used low fat)

1/2 teaspoon salt

16 ounces mozzarella, shredded (about 4 cups)

4-6 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)

2 (24 ounce) jars pasta sauce or 6 cups of homemade sauce (I used a store bought marinara)

12 no boil lasagna noodles (I used Barilla brand) or 12 regular lasagna noodles, boiled and drained - I love the no boil ones!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine all the chopped vegetables, (carrots, broccoli, zucchini and squash) with 1/2 teaspoon salt and steam briefly, for 2-3 minutes, to soften them just a bit (they will finish cooking in the oven).

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, spinach and salt. Mix well.

Lightly grease a 9x13 inch pan. Spoon about 3/4 cup sauce onto the bottom of the pan and spread around. It will be a thin layer. Cover with four no-boil lasagna noodles, overlapping slightly. Spoon in 1/3 of the lightly steamed vegetables evenly. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over the vegetables then sprinkle with 1/3 of the mozzarella and 1/4 of the Parmesan cheese. Pour 1/3 of the remaining sauce over the cheese, lightly spreading it to the edges. Repeat the layers (noodles, vegetables, ricotta, mozarella/parm, sauce) two more times, ending with the last of the sauce. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese over the top. This lasagna will be piled high - above the rim of your 9x13 inch pan, but it will settle as it bakes.

Cover the lasagna with a sheet of lightly greased foil and place the 9x13 inch pan on a large baking sheet lined with foil (this is in case any bubbles up and spills over). Bake covered, for 50 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes longer. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.