Italian Cooking

There are a few things I can always count on my kids to eat when it is put in front of them.  They are Mexican Food, Italian food, pizza and hamburgers.

So I decided to do an Italian dish that was vegetarian.  The kids were skeptical when they saw me cutting all the veggies up, but as the smells permeated the house they knew they could trust my culinary skills.

Here is the recipe...

Vegetable Lasagna

olive oil for greasing pan, lasagna noodles (cooked or the no cooking ones and 1/3 c Parmesan cheese)

roasted vegetables

2 medium zucchini, sliced
2 red bell peppers, cut into chunks
1 large red onion
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

tomato sauce

1 tbsp olive oil
large onion, chopped
1/2 leek, thinkly sliced
1 medium carrot, grated
1 celery stalk, thinkly sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 cans (14oz) chopped tomatoes
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp tomato paste
salt and pepper

cheese sauce

3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
2 cups milk
1/2 c grated cheddar cheese
1/2 c greated gruyere cheese
pinch nutmeg
1/4 c mascarpone cheese
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

1)Preheat oven to 400*F.  Put the roasting veggies in pan and mix together with olive oil, salt/pepper
2) cover with foil and roast for 30 minutes and then uncover and cook for 20.  remove from oven and cool slightly
3) for tomato sauce- head oil in pan and saute the onion, leek, carrots and celery until soft. add garlic and cook for about a minute.  add the canned tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, ketchup, salt and pepper, let simmer for 30 minutes.  let mixture cool and blend to a puree using a hand blender or food processor (I used my blender)
4) cheese sauce-melt butter and stir in flour, whisk in milk a little at a time.  when it thickens remove from heat and add in the cheeses, nutmeg, salt and pepper.  mix until well blended and the cheese is melted.
5) layer lasagna pan that has been oiled for nonsticking.  start with cheese, then layer of noodles, then half the veggies then half the veggie sauce and then cheese sauce.  repeat, noodles, veggies then tomato sauce.  Then noodles.  Cover top with rest of cheese sauce and parmesan cheese.  Cook for 35-40 minutes at 400*F (I did mine at 375*F.)  I also covered mine with foil except for the last 15 minutes.

Super Yummy and full of veggies!!