Root Vegetable Lasagna with Carrots
This Root Vegetable Lasagna recipe is healthy, hearty and most importantly, incredibly delicious! Turnips, carrots and parsnips star in this recipe, which is made and baked in the same skillet.
Servings: 10
Calories: 412kcal
Ingredients
- olive oil for the pan
- 1 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 cups carrots, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 cups parsnips, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 cups turnips, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1 cup roasted red bell peppers, peeled, seeds removed, roughly chopped
- 4 cups crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup red wine
- 3¾ cups part skim ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup scallions, washed and dried, finely chopped
- about 15 cooked lasagna noodles
- 1¼ cups Mozzarella cheese, grated
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the onion and garlic: Coat the bottom of a 12-inch oven safe skillet with olive oil. (Cast iron is best.) Place the pan over medium-high heat and add the onion and garlic. Cook until the onion is soft and beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Then add the thyme and cook until it's very aromatic, about 30 seconds. Season this mixture to taste with salt and pepper. (Here's How to Season to Taste.)
- Cook the root vegetables: Add the carrots, parsnips and turnips. If necessary, add a little more olive oil and sauté, stirring every couple of minutes, until the vegetables are nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Now, reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover with foil (or a fitted lid), and let the vegetables steam until they're tender, about 10 minutes. Stir a couple of times during this steaming process so it doesn't get too dark.
- Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Simmer: Remove the foil or lid, turn the heat to high, add the cinnamon, cayenne, roasted peppers, crushed tomatoes and wine. Mix to combine, bring to a boil and then reduce to a low simmer. Let this simmer for about 10 minutes to thicken a bit, and then turn off the heat.
- Prepare the ricotta: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the ricotta with the egg and scallions and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Assemble the lasagna: Remove all but a thin layer of the sauce in the pan, spooning it into a bowl as you go. Add about 5 lasagna noodles on top of the thin sauce layer. Cut some of the noodles if necessary to fill in any crevices and empty spaces. Then add about half of the removed sauce back into the pan and spread it evenly on top of the noodles. Top this with about one third of the ricotta mixture and one third of the mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Repeat this process once and top with a third layer of 5 lasagna noodles, followed by the remaining ricotta, mozzarella and all of the Parmesan.
- Bake: Place the pan in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes. The lasagna should be bubbling along the edges and the top should be beginning to brown. If you'd like the top a bit more brown, place it under the broiler for about 30 seconds. Let the lasagna sit for at least 25 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
No 12-inch oven-safe skillet? Make the sauce in any large skillet, then layer and bake the lasagna in a 9 x 13 x 3-inch baking dish.
Gluten-free: Use gluten-free lasagna noodles.
Make ahead: Assemble and bake it in a 9 x 13 x 3-inch baking dish. Once cooled, cover tightly and refrigerate for up to about 4 days. Reheat in a 375°F oven until hot.
Freezer: Wrap tightly and freeze for about a month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Herbs: If you use fresh herbs instead of dried, use about three times the amount.
Spice level: Use more or less cayenne, depending on how much heat you like.
Nutritional information is automatically calculated, so it should only be used as an estimate.
Nutrition
Calories: 412kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 629mg | Potassium: 786mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 5158IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 509mg | Iron: 4mg