Hearty Veggie Lasagna

Ingredients

• 12 lasagna noodles
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 pounds button mushrooms, chopped
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, crushed
• 2 (8 ounce) cans no-salt-added tomato sauce
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes with juices
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• ¼ crushed red pepper
• 1 (15 ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• cooking spray
• 2 cups shredded part-skim Italian cheese blend
• 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen diced butternut squash, thawed
• 12 fresh sage leaves (Optional)

Step 1

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the lasagna noodles until they’re tender but still have a little bite, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally so they don’t stick. Drain them and lay the noodles out on some paper towels to dry.

Step 2

While the noodles cook, heat some oil in a big skillet over medium heat. Toss in the mushrooms, onion, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Cook everything, stirring now and then, until the mushrooms are soft and most of the moisture has cooked off—this should take around 15 minutes. Then stir in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, vinegar, half a teaspoon of salt, and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Let it come to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer uncovered for about 8 minutes.

Step 3

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). In a bowl, mix together the ricotta, egg, rosemary, black pepper, and the remaining half teaspoon of salt until it’s well combined.

Step 4

Grab a 9x13-inch baking dish and give it a quick spray with cooking oil. Spread about three-quarters of a cup of that mushroom sauce on the bottom. Then layer three noodles on top, half of the remaining mushroom mixture, and sprinkle on about two-thirds of a cup of shredded cheese. Repeat this with another three noodles, half the ricotta mixture, and half the squash. For the next layer, add three more noodles, the rest of the mushroom sauce, and another two-thirds cup of cheese. Finish by topping with the last three noodles, the remaining squash, and the remaining cheese.

Step 5

Pop the lasagna into the oven and bake it uncovered for about 30 minutes, until it’s hot and bubbly. Let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing into 12 pieces. For a fresh touch, sprinkle some sage leaves on top before serving.