Vegetarian Lasagna with Grilled Vegetables

Ingredients

• 1 onion
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 Carrot
• 1 small handful basil
• 1 handful herbs (thyme and rosemary)
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• 800 g canned tomatoes
• 1 tsp whole grain sugar
• 1 eggplant
• 1 Zucchini
• 1 yellow zucchini
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 300 g fresh whole-wheat lasagna sheets (about 12 pieces)
• 75 g cheese (e.g., Montello)
• 450 g organic buffalo mozzarella

Instructions

1. 1.

   Peel and finely chop onion and garlic. Clean, wash, and chop celery. Peel carrot and dice it small. Wash all herbs.

2. 2.

   Heat 2 tbsp oil over medium heat in a pot. Add onion with celery, carrot, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook the vegetables while stirring frequently for 6–8 minutes. Then add tomatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally. Taste and add sugar.

3. 3.

   Meanwhile prepare the grilled vegetables: remove stems from eggplant and zucchini and slice them into 5 mm thick rounds. Drizzle both with 1 tbsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast the vegetable slices in a hot grill pan for 2–3 minutes on each side, together with thyme and rosemary, until they are tender and show typical grill marks. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl.

4. 4.

   Halve the bell pepper, place it cut-side down on a lightly oiled baking sheet, and roast in a preheated oven at the highest broil setting for 10–15 minutes until black bubbles form on the skin. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Then peel off the skin, remove stems and seeds, slice the flesh into strips, and add to the rest of the vegetables.

5. 5.

   Add basil to the tomato sauce and blend it smooth in a blender. Taste again, pour into a bowl, and let cool. Grate cheese and cut mozzarella into thin slices.

6. 6.

   Spread a layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of a tall baking dish, lay 2 lasagna sheets over it, and sprinkle with some cheese. Add a layer of grilled vegetables, a layer of mozzarella, and a layer of tomato sauce. Repeat this process until the dish is full. Finish by generously coating the top layer of lasagna sheets with tomato sauce, topping with mozzarella slices, and sprinkling with cheese.

7. 7.

   Bake the vegetarian lasagna in a preheated oven at 180 °C (fan 160 °C; gas: level 2–3) for 30–40 minutes until the cheese is golden brown and the sauce bubbles.