Spinach, Carrot, and Mushroom Lasagna

Here’s a delicious vegetarian lasagna that your family will love!  This recipe was found on the food blog chocolatemoosey.com.  To save time, making the sauce and assembling the lasagna can be done ahead of time.  Store in the refrigerator until ready to use/bake.  Serves 10-12.

Ingredients:
Tomato Sauce:
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup chopped onion (roughly 1 medium onion)
2 minced garlic cloves
3 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes with juices
2 teaspoons dried basil (or 2 Tablespoons fresh)
1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 Tablespoon fresh)
1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 Tablespoon fresh)
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Lasagna:
10 uncooked lasagna noodles
2 Tablespoons olive oil
½ cup chopped onion (roughly 1 small onion)
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup carrots, peeled and sliced into coins (roughly 2 carrots)
1 pound fresh spinach (10 oz frozen spinach)
2 minced garlic cloves
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon salt
14 slices mozzarella cheese, broken into 28 half slices
6 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Procedure:

For the tomato sauce:

1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil.  Add the onions and cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.  Add the tomatoes with juices, basil, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper.  Simmer covered for 20 minutes or until tomatoes break down and sauce starts to thicken, stirring occasionally.
2. Remove from the heat.  Very carefully add the sauce to a blender.  Blend until smooth.  Caution – hot mixtures tend to expand more when blended, so you may need to blend the sauce in two batches so it doesn’t splash everywhere.  Let cool.

For the lasagna:

1. Preheat oven to 375F.  Have a 13×9 pan ready.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Cook the lasagna noodles for 10 minutes.  Drain and let cool.
3. In a large deep skillet, heat the olive oil.  Add the onion, carrots, mushrooms, and spinach, and cook until softened, 3-5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.  Add in the ricotta and salt, stirring until smooth.  Cook another 5 minutes or until heated through.
4. Spread a few spoonfuls of sauce in the bottom of the 13×9 pan.  Add 3 noodles flat on top, making 3 rows.  Add 9 mozzarella half slices on top.  Spoon half of the ricotta filling on top then cover with 1/3 of the remaining sauce. Sprinkle 2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese on top.  Top with another 3 noodles.
5. Repeat with another 9 half cheese slices, the rest of the ricotta filling, another 1/3 of the remaining sauce, and 2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese.  Finish with the remaining 3 noodles, the rest of the sauce, the remaining 2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese, and remaining 10 half cheese slices.
6. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted on top and the lasagna is hot.  Cool for 10 minutes, then serve.