Light – Vegetable Lasagna

By Meredith Kimelblatt –

There’s a misconception that when spring rolls around, it’s no longer acceptable to eat the foods you made all winter long. While it’s true that you probably won’t be craving a hot bowl of soup when it’s 80 degrees outside, there are ways to lighten up your favorite winter recipes so you can eat them all spring and summer long.

Big fan of tomato soup and grilled cheese? Try lighter tomato recipes like gazpacho or a grilled tomato, basil and mozzarella sandwich. Craving beef stew? Try grilling beef kebabs with a side of oven baked fries for a hearty meal with a spring update.

This easy lasagna recipe is the perfect way to give a delicious spring update to a traditional winter favorite. Instead of a heavy beef filling, this lasagna uses fresh spring vegetables like zucchini, onion, mushrooms, plus a healthy dose of fresh parsley, to become a light but still filling dinner that’s perfect for a warm spring evening.

Vegetable Lasagna

Prep Time: 30 min
Total Time: 1 ½ hours

Serves: 6

• PAM® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
• 2 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise, sliced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 4 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms (4 oz = 1-1/4 cups)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 container (15 oz each) part-skim ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 can (24 oz each) Hunt’s® Traditional Pasta Sauce
• 8 dry no-boil flat lasagna noodles, uncooked
• 1/3 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8×8-inch baking dish with cooking spray; set aside. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat. Add zucchini, onion, mushrooms and garlic; cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring frequently. Set aside.

Combine ricotta cheese and parsley in a small bowl; set aside.

Spread about 1/2 cup pasta sauce evenly onto the bottom of a prepared dish; top with 2 of the noodles. Cover with layers of 1/4 of the remaining sauce, 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture and 1/3 of the vegetables. Repeat layers 2 more times, beginning with noodles and ending with vegetables. Top with remaining 2 noodles and remaining sauce; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Cover with aluminum foil sprayed lightly with cooking spray, sprayed side down.

Bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil; bake an additional 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Author Bio: This is a guest post by Meredith K. on behalf of Hunt’s. For more easy lasagna recipes and other lightened up spring dinner options, visit www.hunts.com.