I was cooking a couple of items for a colleague at work for her husbands birthday. She could probably have done this herself, but with me taking the main courses, she could throw together some salads and decorate and hit the party rested and relaxed. The food theme was to be Italian, so I made a couple of dishes of pasta al forno ready to put in the oven 30 minutes before dinner I also made a vegetarian lasagna using roasted vegetables.
I am not a big lasagna or even pasta eater myself, but it is a favourite in my family. Having said that I do like roasted vegetable lasagna better than the regular meat version, and so this is what I made as a vegetarian option for their dinner.
1 Asian eggplant sliced, you could use a regular one, but I prefer the mildness of the Asian type
1 zucchini sliced
3 large bell peppers or 8 small ones
1/2 fennel sliced
8 small tomatoes halved
About 1/4 cup of olive oil
Sprig of rosemary
1 cup of ricotta
3 cups of shredded mozzarella
Slice all the vegetables fairly thickly so they do not completely fall apart, and lay in a large roasting tin. Sprinkle with the rosemary salt and pepper toss and then drizzle with the olive oil. Place in a 400 oven for about 1/2 an hour, stirring up half way through.
This is what they look like halfway through, softened and just starting to brown around the edges.
When they are finished they are a little more wrinkled and and darker around the edges.
While the vegetables are roasting make the cheese sauce. I did not take any pictures as I thought I had already blogged this, but apparently I did not. Any way it is not difficult so here goes.
Cheese sauce
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of flour
2 cups of milk
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan
Put the butter in a large microwavable bowl and microwave for one minute.
Add the flour stir and microwave for one minute
Add the milk and using a whisk mix together microwave for 2 minutes
Whisk again and microwave for a further 2 minutes.
The sauce should now be thickened, but if not whisk again and microwave for a further minute.
When the sauce is the required consistency add the Parmesan cheese and mix well.
To put the lasagna together spread a little cheese sauce on the bottom of a lasagna dish then top with half the vegetables and 1/2 the ricotta cheese, I found some wonderful fresh ricotta at a local store and it really was delicious and fresh.
Then add a layer of lasagna sheets, I cheated and used the oven ready ones.
Top with the remainder of the vegetables and ricotta, half the mozzarella and half the remaining cheese sauce.
Top this with more lasagna sheets then the remainder of the cheese sauce and the remainder of the mozzarella cheese.
My friend was going to take a picture of the finished lasagna when she served it, but I am afraid she failed in this assignment, so I have not finished pictures. She did however tell me that the guests raved about this dish and it was a big hit.
I am not a big lasagna or even pasta eater myself, but it is a favourite in my family. Having said that I do like roasted vegetable lasagna better than the regular meat version, and so this is what I made as a vegetarian option for their dinner.
1 Asian eggplant sliced, you could use a regular one, but I prefer the mildness of the Asian type
1 zucchini sliced
3 large bell peppers or 8 small ones
1/2 fennel sliced
8 small tomatoes halved
About 1/4 cup of olive oil
Sprig of rosemary
1 cup of ricotta
3 cups of shredded mozzarella
Slice all the vegetables fairly thickly so they do not completely fall apart, and lay in a large roasting tin. Sprinkle with the rosemary salt and pepper toss and then drizzle with the olive oil. Place in a 400 oven for about 1/2 an hour, stirring up half way through.
This is what they look like halfway through, softened and just starting to brown around the edges.
When they are finished they are a little more wrinkled and and darker around the edges.
While the vegetables are roasting make the cheese sauce. I did not take any pictures as I thought I had already blogged this, but apparently I did not. Any way it is not difficult so here goes.
Cheese sauce
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of flour
2 cups of milk
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan
Put the butter in a large microwavable bowl and microwave for one minute.
Add the flour stir and microwave for one minute
Add the milk and using a whisk mix together microwave for 2 minutes
Whisk again and microwave for a further 2 minutes.
The sauce should now be thickened, but if not whisk again and microwave for a further minute.
When the sauce is the required consistency add the Parmesan cheese and mix well.
To put the lasagna together spread a little cheese sauce on the bottom of a lasagna dish then top with half the vegetables and 1/2 the ricotta cheese, I found some wonderful fresh ricotta at a local store and it really was delicious and fresh.
Then add a layer of lasagna sheets, I cheated and used the oven ready ones.
Top with the remainder of the vegetables and ricotta, half the mozzarella and half the remaining cheese sauce.
Top this with more lasagna sheets then the remainder of the cheese sauce and the remainder of the mozzarella cheese.
My friend was going to take a picture of the finished lasagna when she served it, but I am afraid she failed in this assignment, so I have not finished pictures. She did however tell me that the guests raved about this dish and it was a big hit.
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