Vegetable Lasagna

This light and healthy version will leave you satisfied but without the heavy feeling associated with meat versions.

Vegetable Sauce

    1 tablespoon olive oil
    1 ½ cups chopped yellow onion
    1 cup chopped white mushrooms
    1 cup peeled and shredded carrots
    1 cup unpeeled and shredded zucchini
    2 teaspoons dried celery flakes
    2 teaspoons dried oregano
    2 teaspoons dried basil
    ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
    2 garlic cloves, crushed in a garlic press
    ½ teaspoon salt
    2 (14 ½-ounce) cans Italian-style tomatoes, undrained
    1 (6-ounce) can Italian tomato paste

Cheese Layer

    1 (15-ounce) container low-fat ricotta cheese
    1 cup grated parmesan cheese
    1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
    1 tablespoon dried parsley
    ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
    ¼ teaspoon garlic salt
    ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    2 large eggs

Topping

    1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
    ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Pasta

    9 curly edged extra wide lasagna noodles
    Salt
    Water

1.  Cook the pasta in boiling salted water for 15 minutes. When         
     done, drain off the boiling water and replace with cold water.
     Keep the pasta in the cold water until needed.

2.  Vegetable sauce: Heat the oil in a 5-quart sauté pan. As you
     prepare onion, mushrooms, carrots and zucchini, add
     each of the vegetables to pan, stir occasionally. In a mortar
     with pestle, grind celery flakes, oregano and basil, then add
     with pepper, garlic salt, tomatoes and tomato paste.

3.  Cheese layer: In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta, parmesan,  
     mozzarella, parsley, pepper, garlic salt, nutmeg and eggs.

4.  Preheat the oven to 350 .

5.  In a 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish, place three noodles on
     the base, top with half the cheese mixture then half the       
     vegetable sauce. Repeat with three more noodles, rest of
     cheese and sauce. Top with last three noodles, then top with  
     cheese mixture.

6.  Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes or until sauce
     bubbles around the edges. Serve with garlic bread.

     Hint: Start the sauce when heating the water for the pasta.

     Makes 8 servings