Ingredients
Veggies -- need 3-4 Cups veg excluding the onion
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large carrots, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 C chopped baby spinach - or other greens e.g. côtes de bettes
Tomato sauce (or substitute 2 cups prepared marinara sauce)
1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh basil + additional for garnish
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/a teaspoon red pepper flakes
Remaining ingredients
2 cups (16 ounces) low-fat cottage cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
9 no-boil lasagna noodles*
8 ounces (2 cups) freshly grated low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese -- 1 big stick of Galbani mozzarella
Directions
Vegetables -- chop then fry
1. chop all the veg -- make the carrots smaller since they are slower to cook
2. cook in pan with olive oil till golden - about 10 min
3. add spinach or other greens at the end, and wilt
Tomato sauce - strain, then food processor
4. pour the can of tomatoes into sieve to drain with basil leaves -- DO AHEAD
5. In a food processor:
a. tomatoes,
b. basil,
c. 2T oil,
d. 1-2 gloves garlic, pressed,
e. 1/2 tsp. salt
f. 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
6. blend till spreadable -- approx 2C sauce
7. Rinse blender
8. Grate the mozzarella cheese and set aside
Cottage cheese/veg mix -- food processor
9. Whip 1 C of the cottage cheese in food processor, transfer to mixing bowl
10. Put all veg in food processer and pulse - but do not puree!
11. Add chopped veg to the smooth cottage cheese in the bowl
12. Add the rest of the cottage cheese (1 more Cup) to the bowl
13. Mix, add salt and pepper
Assembly:
14. 1/2 C tomato sauce first
15. 3 pasta sheets, with overlapping edges
16. 1/2 of the cottage cheese mix
17. 3/4 C tomato sauce
18. 1/2 C shredded cheese
19. Then pasta sheets
20. then remaining cottage cheese (no T sauce on this layer)
21. 1/2 C cheese
22. Pasta sheets
23. 3/4 C T sauce to evenly cover the noodles
24. Finish with 1 C shredded cheese (or whatever is left)
Baking - 20-22 min covered + 15 min uncovered (45 min) at 210°C
25. Cover sheet with foil - don't let it touch the cheese
26. bake, covered 18 min at 210°C
27. Remove foil, turn, and cook 10-15 more minutes
28. Allow to cool for 15-20 min
29. Serve with fresh chopped basil on top
