Roasted Vegetable Lasagna with Bechamel Sauce
Lasagna without ricotta!! Oh my….
As a child, I was only taught to make lasagna with ricotta…It was not until I started reading and researching regional Italian cookbooks and visiting Italy that I discovered another version of lasagna, one made with bechamel sauce instead of ricotta cheese. What a difference a simple sauce makes!! Bechamel is a basic white sauce that is made from a roux of butter, flour and milk. It is the base for a number of classic French sauces such as mornay sauce, cheddar cheese sauce and mustard sauce.. I flavored this one with nutmeg and grated pecorino romano cheese and it really blends nicelyl with the roasted vegetables. See recipe below. 
I layered this lasagna with marinara sauce (meatless tomato sauce) and roasted vegetables. The veggies I used are zucchini, carrot, asparagus, yellow squash. Roasting them ahead softens them an intensifies their flavors. I also blanched some fresh spinach and added that to the mix..
There is nothing like homemade lasagna noodles…however, if there is no time or you lack skill, try using Barilla oven ready lasagne sheets…. 
TIP: I do not use them right out of the box as suggested. I soak the dry noodles in a large pan filled with hot water from the faucet with a tsp. of oil to prevent sticking. Soak them for approx 10 min or until they are soft and pliable. Remove the noodles from the warm water and use them right away or layer them with parchment paper for later use. *The lasagna will be moist and won’t soak up all your sauce…
To layer the lasagna, cover bottom of your baking pan with marinara sauce, then top with noodles in a single layer..cover noodles with bechamel sauce, vegetables and pecorino romano cheese.
Place another layer of noodles on top and add marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese and pecorino romano cheese. Repeat layers until all noodles are used up. The top layer can be either tomato sauce or bechamel sauce or both..your preference. Sprinkle top with grated pecorino cheese and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil to make top crispy.
Once the lasagna is assembled, cover with tin foil and bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake uncovered for another 30- 40 minutes. The lasagna will be hot and bubbling. Remove from oven and let it rest for 10-15 before serving to allow the sauce and cheeses to set.. 
This lasagna is as light as air and so delicioso!! ..Please try this one and unleash your imagination. Infuse this lasagna with passion and create an amazing vegetable lasagna for la familia……Buon Appetito Amici
Kathleen Barbato…3 Italian Sisters
- 2 zucchini, sliced lengthwise
- 2 large carrots, sliced diagonally
- 2-3 yellow squash, sliced diagonally
- 2 lbs spinach leaves, blanched in boiling water, drained and set aside.
- 2 boxes of no cook lasagne noodles or fresh noodles
- 4 cups Marinara sauce
- 4 cups Bechamel Sauce
- 16oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
- Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated.
- fresh basil and parsley, chopped(optional)
- Bechamel Sauce
- 4 tbsp. flour
- 4 tbsp. butter
- 4 cups milk, heated to lukewarm
- 1 tsp grated nutmeg
- ¼ cup pecorino romano cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste cooks and bubbles a bit, but don’t let it brown — about 2 minutes. Add the warm milk, continuing to stir as the sauce thickens. Bring it to a boil. Add cheese and then salt and pepper to taste, lower the heat, and cook, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove from the heat. To cool this sauce for later use, cover it with wax paper or pour a film of milk over it to prevent a skin from forming. May be made a day ahead and refrigerated.
- Marinara Sauce
- 2 – 28oz cans plum tomatoes, blended till smooth or crushed by hand
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp. red chili flakes
- salt/ pepper to taste
- fresh basil or parsley
- Heat oil in large sauce pan, add garlic, chili flakes and Italian seasonings and saute until garlic is soft but not brown. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper and fresh basil. Cook for 30 minutes on medium heat.
- Lasagne Noodles
- Soak noodles in a large pot of hot tap water and add a tsp. of oil. Add 1 box of noodles to water and let them soak for approx 10 minutes or until noodles are soft and pliable.
- Can be layered between sheets of parchment paper until ready to assemble lasagna
- Vegetable Roast
- Place sliced zucchini, carrots and squash on 2 separate cookie sheets, sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in oven at 400 degrees until they are lightly browned and caramelized. Set aside for assembly. May be made a day ahead.
- Assembly
- Coat the bottom of a large lasagna pan with a thin layer of marinara sauce. Cover sauce with layer of noodles, cover noodles with bechamel sauce, then spinach, then an assortment of roasted vegetables. Sprinkle veggies with pecorino romano cheese and then another layer of noodles, marinara sauce and mozzarella and pecorino cheese. Then repeat layer of noodles, bechamel sauce, and veggies until all noodles and veggies and sauces are used up. Top last layer of noodles with bechamel sauce and pecorino romano and sprinkle top with fresh parsley or basil, drizzle top with extra virgin olive oil.
- Cover lasagna with tin foil and bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 30 – 40 minutes. Take foil off and bake uncovered or another 30 minutes – some people like the top layer crispy and brown. It’s your preference.
- Remove from oven and let lasagna rest for 10 minutes to let all cheeses and sauces set… serve and enjoy!!
