Debbie's Garden Lasagna

Ingredients

• 9 lasagna noodles
• ¼ cup margarine
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup vegetable broth, or as needed
• 2 tablespoons white wine
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup light ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups coarsely shredded carrots
• 2 cups coarsely chopped zucchini
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Step 1

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook them, stirring now and then, until they’re tender but still have a little bite—about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Step 2

While the noodles cook, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Next, melt the margarine in a skillet over low heat. Stir in the flour, salt, and pepper and keep stirring until the mixture is smooth and starts to bubble, around 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk and broth, and let the sauce come to a boil. Stir in the wine, then take the pan off the heat and mix in the Parmesan cheese until it’s melted and smooth.

Step 3

In a separate bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, whole egg, and egg white. Heat the olive oil in another skillet over medium-high heat, then sauté the carrots, zucchini, and spinach just until they begin to soften, about 5 to 10 minutes. Fold these veggies into the ricotta mixture.

Step 4

Now it’s time to assemble. Spread about a third of the noodles in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Top with a third of the ricotta-vegetable mix, then spoon over a third of the Parmesan sauce. Repeat these layers two more times, finishing with a generous layer of mozzarella cheese on top.

Step 5

Pop the lasagna into the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the cheese on top is lightly browned and bubbly. Let it cool for a few minutes before digging in!