Patte ate this at my house in, oh, say 1985 maybe, and keeps bugging me for the recipe. I mean, c'mon, why the rush? Now she has married wonderful Steve and I guess this is as good a wedding gift as any. Well, it might be a better one if I actually fixed it for them, but hey, it took over 20 years just to cough up the recipe. If Patte hasn't cooked her own by 2027, I promise to have them over for Vegetarian Lasagna.
Vegetarian Lasagna
1/4 c. olive oil
2 med onions
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 carrot, trimmed & chopped
1 stalk celery with leaves, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 lb. mozzarella cheese, grated
1 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach
6 oz. tomato paste
28 oz. can whole tomatoes
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. marjoram
1/2 tsp. oregano
1-1/2 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. salt
1 lb. fresh mushrooms, chopped
1/4 c. chopped parsley
12 lasagna noodles
1 lb. ricotta cheese
1/2 c. parmesan cheese, grated
Heat olive oil in large dutch oven. Cook onions & garlic in it over medium heat until soft. Add carrot, celery, and mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms are dark. Add parsley, frozen spinach (no need to cook it first), tomato paste, tomatoes, lemon juice, and seasonings. Simmer uncovered 45 minutes. Sauce should be thick. Boil noodles until limp but not completely cooked (about 5 minutes). Drain and set aside.
In 9x13 baking dish, spread 3/4 c. sauce. Cover with a layer of noodles. Spread 1/3 c. ricotta, sprinkle 1/4 c. mozzarella, layer another 1/3 c. sauce. Layer until the last sauce tops the last ricotta cheese and sprinkle remaining mozzarella on top. Then sprinkle the parmesan on top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Allow it to rest 10 minutes before serving. If possible, refrigerate overnight before baking, but let it sit out 30 minutes before baking.
