If you have too much zucchini from the garden or found squash on sale- this recipe is a crowd pleaser! With the convenience of freeze drying, you can enjoy this classic Italian dish anytime, anywhere, whether you're at home or on the go. Simply rehydrate and savor the goodness of homemade Veggie Lasagna in minutes.
Ingredients
- 10 oz. weight lasagna noodles
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 whole medium onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 whole red bell pepper, diced
- 24 oz. weight white mushrooms, chopped
- 4 whole squash (yellow or zucchini), diced
- 1 can (28-ounce) whole tomatoes
- 1/2 c. white wine
- 1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped (more to taste)
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt (more to taste)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 30 oz. weight ricotta cheese
- 2 whole eggs
- 1/2 c. grated Parmesan
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 lb. thinly sliced mozzarella cheese
- Extra Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and lay flat on a sheet of aluminum foil.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook for a minute. Add diced red peppers and saute for another minute or so. Add squash and mushrooms and cook for a few minutes. Pour in wine, add salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, and stir.
Pour in tomatoes. Use hands to squeeze/crush them. Stir to combine and let simmer for 20 minutes or so. Stir in chopped parsley.
In a separate bowl, combine ricotta, eggs, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.
To assemble, spread a little of the vegetable/tomato sauce in a lasagna pan. Layer four cooked noodles in the pan, slightly overlapping them if necessary. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture on the noodles. Top the ricotta mixture with mozzarella slices. Spoon a little less than 1/3 of the veggie/sauce mixture over the mozzarella.
Repeat the layering two more times, ending with a large helping of vegetable sauce and a sprinkling of Parmesan.
Bake at 350 degrees, covered in foil, for 20 minutes, then remove foil and continue baking for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to stand for 10 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.
FREEZE-DRYING INSTRUCTIONS
- Spread casserole evenly on trays lined with silicone mats. Or use a small cookie scoop to make dollops. Make note of the weight of the trays with food.
- Process according to freeze-dryer instructions.
- When finished freeze-drying, note the weight of the trays. The difference in weight of the trays before and after freeze-drying is the recommended amount of water needed to reconstitute.
TO RECONSTITUTE
Add recommended amount of hot water to casserole. Stir and let sit a few minutes until fully reconstituted. More, or less, than the recommended amount of water can be added to get the desired consistency.
