Recipe: tasty vegetarian lasagna

From March 8 to 14, 2021 is National Week Without Meat. We at OpstapmetLisa love a piece of meat, but we are also definitely open to alternatives. Maybe you too would like to put a meatless dish on the table? We have a very tasty and healthy recipe for you. This vegetarian lasagna will be on the menu more often!

Lasagna with grilled vegetables

Once upon a time, thirteen years ago, I worked at a large insurance company. Me and my boyfriend had been looking for a bigger house for some time, and when our offer on our current home was accepted, I happened to be in the office. Because everyone had sympathized so much, I spontaneously invited my entire department to a housewarming party. Of course, I didn’t expect all 27 of them to come, but they did. Because the company was very mixed, everyone brought their own treats. I myself made a vegetarian lasagna for the first time. I finished it within ten minutes. What a pity I didn’t make more! This was the recipe.

Ingredients:

• oven (preheated to 200 degrees)
• oven dish (greased)
• hand blender

Ingredients:

• lasagna sheets (fresh or from package)
• olive oil
• 1 kilo of tomatoes
• 3 (pointed) peppers
• bouillon cube (herbs or vegetables)
• dash of red wine (optional)
• 1 large can of tomato puree
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 large onion
• 1 zucchini
• 1 eggplant
• 1 ball of mozzarella (sliced)
• 100 grams grated cheese
• salt and pepper
• Italian herbs (dried, to taste)

For the tomato sauce:

You can of course buy the tomato sauce ready-made to be ready faster, but homemade tomato sauce is much tastier AND healthier. Cut all the tomatoes, 1 (pointed) bell pepper and a large onion into chunks. Heat a dash of olive oil in a pan and add the vegetables and the two cloves of garlic. Add the stock cube, tomato paste and Italian herbs. Add a splash of red wine to taste. This is not necessary, but will make your sauce just a little more special. Do not use too much because it should not become a tomato soup. Let everything simmer and soften. When everything is soft, puree the vegetables with a hand blender. Taste the sauce and add some salt and pepper if necessary. Note: you will also use salt and pepper on the vegetables, so don’t use too much salt in the sauce.

For the vegetables:

Next, you are going to grill the leftover vegetables (zucchini, eggplant and 2 leftover bell peppers). It’s best to use a grill pan for this, but it can also be done in a regular pan or even on the barbecue. Slice the vegetables lengthwise into thin slices. Brush the slices with a mixture of olive oil, salt and pepper and place them on the grill. The vegetables do not need to stay hot so it is not a big deal to grill the vegetables in stages. Now you are ready to build your lasagna!

Building up vegetarian lasagna

Building up vegetarian lasagna is similar to that of normal lasagna. Only difference is that there is no meat in it. I always start in the baking dish with a layer of tomato sauce. Top that with a layer of lasagna sheets. Then another layer of sauce with the grilled zucchini. Then another layer of lasagna sheets, then another layer of sauce with, for example, the peppers, etc. This way you build up your lasagna layer by layer. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top and divide the mozzarella slices. I like to sprinkle it with pepper, but of course that is not necessary.

Baking lasagna in the oven

The oven is now nicely warmed up and all ready for your dish. My oven is a little weird so my oven dishes always have to go into the oven a little longer, but I would say the dish should be in the oven for between 30 and 40 minutes. When the cheese is well melted and slightly golden brown your lasagna is ready! Let it simmer out for another minute or so before cutting it up. Serve the lasagna with a fresh salad and a nice wine of your choice. Enjoy your meal!

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