Ingredients:
- 2 medium Zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds (approx. 400g)
- 225g Cremini mushrooms, sliced thin
- 1 large Red bell pepper, diced
- 300g Fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 75g Unsalted butter
- 75g All-purpose flour
- 1 Liter Whole milk, warmed
- 100g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 375g No boil lasagna noodles
- 450g Shredded mozzarella
- 700ml Marinara sauce
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Oregano
- Nutmeg
Instructions:
- Roast the vegetables. Toss zucchini rounds, diced pepper, and sliced mushrooms with olive oil, salt, and oregano on a large tray and bake at 200°C until edges are browned and slightly shriveled (about 15-20 mins).
- Sauté the aromatics. In a small pan, cook the minced garlic and chopped spinach until the spinach is completely wilted. Note: This removes the raw edge from the garlic.
- Prepare the roux. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, then whisk in the flour for 2 minutes until it smells like toasted shortbread.
- Finish the white sauce. Slowly stream in the warm milk while whisking constantly. Simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
- Season and cheese. Remove the white sauce from heat; stir in the nutmeg and half of the Parmesan cheese until the sauce is silky and thick.
- Layer the base. Spread a thin layer of marinara on the bottom of your baking dish followed by a single layer of noodles. Note: This prevents the bottom noodles from sticking to the pan.
- Stack the filling. Spread more marinara, a third of the roasted veggies, a third of the spinach mixture, and a generous drizzle of white sauce.
- Repeat the process. Add another layer of noodles and repeat the fillings twice more until you have three distinct layers of vegetables.
- Top it off. Finish with a final layer of noodles, the remaining white sauce, the mozzarella, and the rest of the Parmesan.
- Bake to perfection. Bake at 180°C for 40-45 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and has golden brown craters.