I'm big on being able to take healthy meals with me to work. Vegetarian lasagna has always been one of my go-to favourites (ahem, and the chicken I was going to use today was used last night by DH, who made an amazing Orange Chicken).
Today, I'm making my adapted version of this recipe from The Kitchy Kitchen.
Be forewarned, there are lots of steps, and it takes a while to get everything put together if you don't have some of the ingredients pre-made. From start to finish it took me almost 2.5 hours! But, it's well worth it :)
You will need:
4 cups spaghetti squash (about half a big one) cut into wedges, like you'd cut up a melon
2 big bunches of spinach, washed and dried
3 onions, thinly sliced
1 lb lasagna strips (enough for three layers)
500 g ricotta
200 g mozarella cheese, grated
1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese
crushed red pepper flakes
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup basil (I cut as I go with my kitchen scissors, from a sprig we keep in the fridge)
Olive oil
Butter
for the sauce:
3 cups milk
parsley (I use freeze dried when it's not in season)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
about a dozen peppercorns
a couple shakes of pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
1/3 c butter
1/2 cup flour
2/3 cup grated Gruyere
Preheat the oven to 425F. While it is heating up, place the squash wedges on a baking sheet, and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for about 25 minutes, until the edges are darkened, and the squash is soft. Turn off the oven. (I don't have a lot of counter space. Because of this, I like to let things hang out wherever they take up the least amount of space. Squash takes 30-40 minutes to cook through, but this way the heat stays in, the thing cooks, and you don't worry about burning!)
Meanwhile, in a large pan or wok, sautee the spinach in a couple tablespoons of olive oil, with two minced garlic cloves. Cook until the spinach is completely wilted, then place in a paper towel lined colander over the sink to drain.
Now it's time for the onions. Mmmm... I love fried onions. My favourite way of cutting onions, is to cut off the top and bottom, peel away the papery bits, then slice the onion in half length wise (top to bottom). Put each half, cut side down, and slice from right to left (I'm right handed), top to bottom. It doesn't matter if some of the pieces are still connected at the top, as they cook they separate.
Preheat the pan (I use the same pan as the spinach) over medium, melt a tablespoon butter, and add a table spoon olive oil. Throw in the onions and stir.
This part takes a lot of patience, and trust me, your patience is worthwhile! Slowly cook the onions for 30-40 minutes, until they take on a gorgeous caramel colour, and your house smells soooo yummy. Remove from heat and set aside.
Measure out the amount of lasagna noodles you'll need, by layering them in the pyrex dish or corningware dish that you'll be using. Cook the noodles according the the direction on the box, then rinse under cold water.
This recipe calls for a Bechemel sauce. I love white sauce, and it's really easy to do. You will need two saucepans, a whisk (two if you have them), and a strainer.
In one pan, over medium-high heat, bring the milk,bay leaf, peppercorns, pepper flakes, nutmeg and parsley to simmer. Make sure to stir so the milk doesn't scald.
At the same time, melt 1/3 cup butter over medium-high heat, and add 1/2 cup of flour once the butter is melted. WHISK!!! This is called making a "roux", and you need to cook the flour to remove the raw taste. It takes about a minute before the mixture, which is thick and pasty, to take on a bit of an amber hue. Don't stop whisking.
Remove from heat (I slide the pot over to an unused burner). Strain in half the milk, and be warned that it will likely bubble like crazy. Whisk, whisk, whisk, until the mixture is a smooth doughy texture. Add the rest of the milk, and stir until you get a thick, smooth sauce. Grate in some Gruyere (or whatever hard cheese you happen to have on hand). Stir, and set aside.
Time to put it all together!
Remove the squash from the oven, peel and shred (spaghetti squash is so cool to watch come apart, just like spaghetti!)
I'm not a huge fan of lots of noodles in my lasagna. I usually max out at three layers of noodles. Line the bottom of your dish with noodles. Add a third of the Bechemel sauce, spreading it out with a wooden spoon. Add half the spinach, half the onions, half the squash, and a third of the mozzarella.
Dot with half the ricotta cheese, and top with some cut basil. Repeat for the next layer (using up all the veggies, but reserving some mozza and some sauce).
Top with the last layer of noodles, the sauce, and the cheese. Add extra grated Gruyere if you like.
Bake in the oven at 325F for 25minutes, or until bubbling.
Let it rest for a while, so that it firms up, and you're good to dig in! Can't wait for my lunch tomorrow!!
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