Italian Recipes - Mile-High Meatless Lasagna Pie

Ingredients     

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 3 medium carrots, finely chopped

• 1 medium zucchini, finely chopped (2 cups)

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms (8 ounces)

• 2 6-ounce packages prewashed baby spinach

• 2 tablespoons snipped fresh basil

• 1 beaten egg

• 1 15-ounce carton ricotta cheese

• 1/3 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

• 1 26-ounce jar tomato-and-basil pasta sauce (2 1/2 cups)

• 14 dried lasagna noodles

• 2 cups shredded fontina or mozzarella cheese (8 ounces)

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Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add carrots, zucchini, and half of the garlic. Cook and stir about 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Transfer to a bowl.

2. Heat  remaining oil in same skillet. Add mushrooms and remaining garlic. Cook and stir about 5 minutes or until tender. Gradually add spinach. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes or until spinach is wilted.

3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer spinach mixture to medium bowl; stir in basil. In a bowl combine, egg, ricotta, Parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

4. To assemble pie, spread 1/2 cup of the pasta sauce in the bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan. Arrange three to four of the lasagna noodles over the sauce, trimming and overlapping as necessary to cover sauce with one layer.

5. Top with half of the spinach mixture. Top with half of the ricotta mixture. Top with another layer of noodles. Spread with half of the remaining pasta sauce. Top with all of the zucchini-carrot mixture. Sprinkle with half of the fontina cheese. Top with another layer of the lasagna noodles.

6. Layer with remaining spinach mixture and ricotta mixture. Top with another layer of noodles and remaining sauce (you may have extra noodles). Gently press down pie with the back of a spatula. Place springform pan on a foil-lined baking sheet.

7. Bake about 1 hour or until heated through, topping with remaining fontina cheese for the last 15 minutes of baking. Cover and let stand on a wire rack for 15 minutes before serving. Carefully remove side of spring form pan.