Ok, maybe we overdid the headline a little bit this time. It is just that normally we are really lousy lasagna-makers. Every time we try to make it we have these visions on how our lasagna should be like, and the last 6-7 couple of tries the results have been … disappointing, to say the least. Too dry, too moisty, tasteless, too flat … and the list goes on.
This time we read almost all the vegetarian lasagna recipes we could find at Foodgawker. At Ezra Pound Cake we found a recipe that caught our attention. We added lemon to the ricotta, chili to the tomato sauce, used whole wheat lasagna noodles and changed bell peppers for mushrooms and kale – and like that – we had made our own first successful lasagna. Sure, it might look a bit complicated when you scroll down the long list of ingredients but remember that this actually just might be one of the Best Lasagnas In The World!
Lasagna With Grilled Vegetables
Serves 4-6
Tomato sauce (scroll down for recipe)
1 package of whole wheat (or gluten free) lasagna noodles
Lemon-ricotta (scroll down for recipe)
Grilled vegetables (scroll down for recipe)
1 package of mozzarella cheese (250 g)
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Start with a thin layer of tomato sauce, cover with a layer of lasagna noodles, a layer of lemon-ricotta, a layer of grilled vegetables, a layer of kale and a layer of tomato sauce. Repeat 2-3 times, top the last layer with the rest of the vegetables, the tomato sauce, the lemon-ricotta and the grated mozarella cheese. Bake it in the oven for 40-50 minutes.
Tomato sauce (arrabiata)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 medium size onion (finely chopped)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 fresh chili (medium strong, finely chopped)
25-30 kalamata olives (pitted)
2 tbsp capers (drained)
4 large tomatoes (cut in quarters)
2 cans plum tomatoes
half a pot fresh basil
salt & pepper
Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add onion, garlic, and chili and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add olives, capers and fresh tomatoes and cook it a couple of minutes more before adding the rest of the ingredients. Cook for 10 minutes, lower the heat and let it simmer for half an hour more under a lid.
Grilled Vegetables
2 tbsp olive oil
salt
2 zucchini (sliced)
1 eggplant (sliced)
300 g mushrooms,
300 g fresh kale or spinach
1 clove garlic
Dash the zucchini and eggplant with olive oil and salt and grill them in the oven at 400°F for about 10 minutes. Grill the mushrooms and the kale in a pan for 5 minutes with olive oil, salt and garlic. You could also grill the zucchini and eggplant in a broiler pan, the important thing is that the vegetables release some of their moist before putting them in the lasagna.
Lemon- ricotta
500 g ricotta cheese
1 organic lemon (peel and juice)
1/2 pot of basil
sea salt
lemon pepper
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
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25 Comments
Very impressive! I like how you switched out ingredients to stuff that suited you.
I need this in my life!
Nothing like a disappointing lasagne, although this one looks far from it! Well done, I wish I could have a slice now!
Oh man, I can totally relate with the lasagna “try all”. Now with your success, I’ll have to try this one! Thanks for posting, great pics!
I havent even made this and it sounds like the best lasagna for sure! YUM!!!!
Thank you all for your comments! Hope none of us have to experience a bad lasagna ever again.
Your lasagna looks indeed fantastic! Thanks for sharing
I made this today and it really is delicious. The lemon in the ricotta gives it a really interesting flavor.
How great that you liked it! We were also dazzled by the lemon and ricotta combo.
i am about to cook it tonight. never found lasagna that interesting until you replaced the bechamel with ricotta! as an obsessed pasta fan i am really looking forward to get the best out of it!
Oh my god the lasagna was beyond delicious. The combination of ricotta and lemon, i knew of the existence but would never had guessed it would underscore the taste of the eggplant and zucchini that much! I am so happy i did not change the amount – so i am going to have something to eat for tomorrow and make my colleges jealous
Really worth the try!
Julian: Fantastic, we’re so happy that you liked it! It really is an amazing lasagna. We also made too much for one night and kept nagging on ours three days in a row.
/Luise
As far as i can tell i am going to nag on it for at least 5 days in a row, if my colleges won’t rape me in the first place
( sometimes the really do! Then they stand behind me, look over my shoulders and try to snitch some bits. So every once in a wile i have to cook for approx. 25 people to calm them down a little bit and treat them with healthy food. The normally eat only McD and Co.)
Very savory… I want to try it and eat.
This is wonderful, love the rouch of the lemon and basil ricotta!
It’s the lemon-ricotta and the kale that I’m in love with…
I need some help with “half a pot” of basil. Not a term I’ve heard before, and I have no idea how much that is. (What pot?) Can you give in terms of cups or leaves, etc.?
Yeah, maybe that was a bit unclear… In sweden we often buy a pot of basil from the supermarket. Half a pot is equal to a handful or 25-30 medium sized leaves.
Good luck!
/David
Lemon in the ricotta sounds extra yummy.
This rocked! I supstituted Swiss Chard for the kale and grilled all the veggies (including the kale leaves and mushrooms) on the BBQ for added flavour and used Spelt noodles for a healthier addition. This is so good and worth the time spent to put it all together. The lemon ricotta is fantastic. Next time I might make the sauce a day ahead and also grill the veggies a day before. It took 3 hours to put everything together, but so worth it.
Hello, do you cook the lasagna noodles before you assemble the lasagna?
Hi Lisa, we don’t cook them before. Everything is baked in the oven after the lasagna is assembled. Good luck!
/David
Tasted delicious! I love this blog!
Hi, I’m going to make this this week and have a HUGE lemon…can you let me know how much lemon juice to use since I don’t want to make it too tart. Thank you
If it’s a HUGE lemon I would probably use half of it. Taste the lemon ricotta mix before adding it to the lasagna to make sure it’s enough. Good luck! /David