Lightened Up Summer Vegetable Lasagna

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I have been very behind on my blogging lately and the days are just flying by. I barely have time to sleep as much as I need to, let alone plan my recipes ahead, take pictures, write my posts, etc. I am hoping that I will have some time this weekend to get some good posts in. Even with the crazy heat wave lately, I have still been using my oven a lot. I thought that by making a larger dish like lasagna, I was able to go a few days without having to cook anything or turn on the oven. This lasagna didn’t even make it past two full days.

Lightened Up Summer Vegetable Lasagna
Serves 8.

8 oz lasagna noodles (I used regular instead of no-boil)

For the ricotta mixture:
1 32 oz (2 lb) container part-skim ricotta cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
¼ cup grated or shredded parmesan cheese
½ teaspoons salt and pepper
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced

To layer:
1 small zucchini, sliced thinly
½ sweet onion, sliced thinly
1 orange bell pepper, sliced thinly
2 cups fresh spinach
1 ½ cups mushrooms, broken into smaller pieces if they are large
1 ½  cups tomato sauce
½ cup light mozzarella cheese 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Oil a 7×11 inch glass casserole dish. Cook lasagna noodles in a large pot of boiling water for 8 minutes. Drain, rinse so they don’t stick together, and set aside.
2. In a medium sized bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, egg, parmesan, salt, pepper, olive oil, garlic, and basil. Mix until completely combined.
3. Using a spoon, spread a few spoonfuls of the tomato sauce on the bottom of the casserole dish. Lay three to four lasagna noodles over the tomato sauce. Cover with the cheese mixture and top with vegetables. Continue until you have reached the top of the dish. The last layer should be noodles covered with the remaining sauce and mozzarella cheese.
4. Cover the lasagna with tin foil and cook for 25 minutes. Remove the tin foil and cook for another 30-35 minutes. You want the noodles and vegetables to be soft when you poke them with a sharp knife, and the cheese to be lightly browned.
5. Remove from the oven and let rest for at least 15 minutes.
6. Garnish with fresh basil. Store any leftover lasagna covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Note: The types and measurements of the vegetables are just guidelines. Feel free to substitute or add any vegetables that you want, and use as much or as little of each kind as you like.