Lasgana is comfort food for me and recently I was thinking about how to make it vegetarian and hence healthier but without any loss of flavor. That was when I had this idea to put together a roasted veegtable lasagna. I am sure some episode on some TV show on the Food Network would have aggravated the need to do this even further. I don't think I have admitted it yet officially on my blog yet - I am a food TV junkie. I can watch cooking shows endlessly as long as the chef/cook/host (anyone who is doing the cooking) knows what they're doing. A lot of reality TV based on food just does not cut ..... I am not really interested in your emotions during/after cooking ... I am more interested in what you can teach me. And I have to admit that most of the recipes you watch (after you have watched food TV for this long) tend to be similar but some of the cooking show hosts are just great on the insight and expertise they are willing to share with you.

And it was during one of those shows that I got inspired to make this lasagna. The method was very similar to the meat lasagna recipe that I have here . The ingredients were also similar. Instead of meat sauce, I made the mushroom bolognese sauce. I added roasted vegetables and also made the white sauce from the lasagna recipe healthier by adding chopped sauteed spinach to it. This recipe is much healthier vs. the American version of lasagna which calls for the use of ricotta and other cheeses to make up for the white sauce layer.

Roasted vegetables are really low effort. You need to ensure you have good quality olive oil and that they are seasoned well with salt, pepper and herbs. The roasting process gives them amazing flavor. I especially love the way roasted peppers and asparagus roast up. Roasted tomatoes are ideal for making tomato soup. Try it instead of plain tomatoes and the difference is noteworthy.

And I have no qualms in admitting that I prefer to use instant lasagna sheets over the ones that need to be cooked ahead of assembly. This makes the process of making lasagna much easier and reduces the fuss. I am always open to using methods and ingredients which improve the efficiency of the cooking process without compromise on taste, texture or flavor. I know there are folks who will disagree but being a working woman with kids and lots on my plate all the time, I am happy to have this as an option.

Ingredients:

1 batch mushroom bolognese sauce

1 batch white sauce

1/2 bunch finely chopped spinach sauteed in a pan with 1/2 tsp oil

Mini Asparagus (1 bunch) (trimmed)

2 yellow bell peppers (I only had yellow on hand, feel free to use anything that you like) (cut into half)

1 each Green and Yellow Zucchini (cut into medium thin rounds)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top

Olive oil (2 tablespoons)

2 tsp dried mixed herbs (I chose Italian blend)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 package instant lasgana sheets

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200 C. Mix olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs together. Toss all the vegetables in this oil mixture. Lay the vegetables on a roasting tray/baking sheet layered with foil (that helps the cleanup :)) and place in the preheated oven to bake.

2. The vegetables will be roasted in 15-20 minutes. when they are cooled, transfer them into bowls/containers. For asparagus, chop into pieces of desired choice. For roasted peppers, transfer them to a glass bowl while hot and cover with plastic wrap. the steam inside the bowl will cause the skin to come of easily later. Chop the bell peppers into desired size pieces.

3. Add the chopped sauteed spinach to the white sauce. Check both sauces for seasoning and add as needed.

4. To begin layering the lasagna, spread some of the mushroom bolognese on the base of the container. Please ensure you're using a flat based glass dish to make lasagna. If you're going to use a metal dish, it should be lined with aluminium foil before the assembly so that it is easy to cleanup.

5. Spread a layer of the lasagna sheets. Ensure that it covers the entire sauce. Sprinkle 1/3 of the roasted vegetables on this layer and spread the white sauce on it followed by the mushroom bolognese. Since we are using instant noodles, we need to ensure that the texture of the sauces is not too thick and that the lasagna sheets are nicely covered with the sauce because they will need the moisture of the sauce to cook.

6. Repeat layers as per above. The final layer should consist of lasagna sheet covered with the sauces. Cover with aluminium foil and cook for 30-40 minutes on 200 C. Test the doneness of the lasagna by inserting a small knife through it to make sure all the laerys are cooked through.

7. Remove the foil, sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top and bake for another 10-15 minutes till the cheese is melted, bubbly and brown. Let the lasagna rest for a few minutes. Cut into pieces and serve.