Ingredients:
2 cups cubed zucchini
1 cup cubed bell peppers
1 cup chopped tomatoes
4 cups sliced mushrooms (about 12 oz.)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup dry red wine
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
10 oz. fresh spinach, rinsed
2 cups low-fat cottage cheese
1 cup grated low-fat mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 1/2 cups prepared tomato sauce*
1 lb. uncooked lasagna noodles**
Serves 6 to 8
Prep time: 40 minutes
Baking time: 60-70 minutes
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, salt, and wine in a saucepan, bring to a boil, cover, and then simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes, until all of the vegetables are tender and juicy. Stir in the basil and set aside.
Cover and cook the spinach on high heat in just the water clinging to the leaves for 3 minutes, until wilted but still bright green. Drain and chop coarsely. Combine with the cottage cheese, mozzarella, and Parmesan, and set aside.
Spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce evenly on the bottom of a 3-inch-deep 8 x 12-inch baking dish. Layer with 5 or 6 noodles, 1 generous cup of undrained vegetables, and 1 cup of the spinach-cheese mixture. Cover with a second layer of noodles, 1 cup of sauce, and a third layer of noodles. Finally, add the rest of the vegetables, the remaining spinach-cheese mixture, a fourth layer of noodles, and the rest of the sauce. Cover tightly with foil and bake until the noodles are tender, about 60 minutes. Let sit at least 10 minutes before cutting.
*There's a recipe for tomato wine sauce if anyone wants me to post it.
**The book says there's no need to pre-cook the noodles, as long as you use a generous amount of sauce when layering them and make sure the foil is tight. I've found this to be true.
